Black Ivory coffee

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Black Ivory Coffee
Black Ivory Coffee stemware
Product typeCoffee
OwnerBlack Ivory Coffee Company Ltd.
Produced byBlack Ivory Coffee Company Ltd.
CountryThailand
Introduced2012 (2012)
Related brandsKopi luwak
MarketsWorldwide
Websitehttps://blackivorycoffee.com/

Black Ivory Coffee is a brand of coffee produced by the Black Ivory Coffee Company Ltd in Surin province, Northeast Thailand or Isan from Arabica coffee beans consumed by elephants and collected from their waste.[1][2] A recent study shows that the taste and chemical profiles of Black Ivory Coffee is potentially influenced by the microbial fermentation of coffee components inside the elephants' gut microbiota.[3] [2] The company partners with families that owns elephants in the region.[4]

History

Black Ivory was initially produced by the Black Ivory Coffee Co. Ltd. at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, a sanctuary in Chiang Saen district in Northern Thailand, that cares for rescued elephants.[5] The company's founder, Canadian Blake Dinkin,[6][7][8] originally considered producing kopi luwak from civet droppings. He also considered lions and giraffes before learning that elephants sometimes eat coffee during the dry season. From an initial unsavoury prototype and after nine years of tests and trials, he created a satisfactory quality in 2012 with an initial production of 150 kg. The first Black Ivory Coffee was sold to hotels in Thailand and the Maldives.[9] Later, production moved from the Golden Triangle Foundation to the Surin province, Northeast Thailand called Isan with 20 contributing elephants. During that period, the company donated parts of its revenue to the Foundation to support elephant healthcare.[10]

Production method

Black Ivory Coffee is made entirely from Arabica coffee, handpicked from high-altitude farms Northeast Thailand where the cooler climate and rich soil enhance bean quality and flavor.[11][12] Nowadays, a few elephants participate in the production process where the supply of Black Ivory relies on three steps: 1) The quality of coffee fruit crop; 2) The amount of beans transformed in the elephants' digestive system between 10 to 72 hours;[13][1] 3) The contribution of mahouts who care for the elephants and recover the beans [14].

Black Ivory Coffee beans for making coffee

Elephants are fed raw cherries together with their normal diet of rice and bananas in order to collect useful coffee cherries. From 33 kg of coffee fruits collected from the trees only one kg of coffee is produced at the end of the process.[15] That is to say, a significant amount of crushed cherries is lost when excreted.[16][17] The production process of Black Ivory Coffee emphasizes ethical animal welfare.[14] In addition, the consumption of coffee cherries does not adversely affect elephants' health.[5]

Reception

Several notable associations and media including American NPR (National Public Radio), British Daily Express, and National Geographic magazine featured Black Ivory Coffee as "the world's most expensive coffee". [18][19][20] Phys.org, an online science, research and technology news aggregator, stated that the coffee is prized for its smooth, chocolaty flavor, and less bitter than regular coffee.[21] It also received favorable reception and earned praise from gourmet coffee aficionados, luxury restaurants, and exclusive gatherings from around the world.[22][23] The coffee is served to a handful of five-star hotels including the renown Ritz-Carlton Toronto that launched a special coffee menu featuring Black Ivory.[24]

Availability

The coffee is sold to select luxury hotels and online where it costs US$50 per cup.[5][23][25][26] The supply of Black Ivory coffee depends on the availability of coffee cherries, the number of beans destroyed through chewing of the beans and the ability of the mahouts and their wives to recover intact beans. The high price of the product is largely due to the large number of coffee cherries needed to produce the finished product:[22] 33 kilograms (72 pounds) of raw coffee cherries results in one kilogram (2.2 lb; 1,000 g; 35 oz) of the finished product.[5] Most of the beans are not recoverable as they are chewed by the elephants, become fragmented, or are lost in the bush after being excreted.[22][27]

See also

References

  1. "Exotic coffee beans plucked from elephant dung". CBS News. December 7, 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  2. Gecker, Jocelyn (9 Dec 2012). "Elephant Dung Coffee: An Exotic, Expensive Brew". Sci-Tech Today. Retrieved 10 Dec 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. Chiba, Nodoka; Limviphiphuvadh, Vachiranee; Ng, Chong Han; Koyagi, Ryuto; Kino, Yuta; Nakamura, Yuta; Yamada, Takuji (18 November 2025). "Preliminary study of gut microbiome influence on Black Ivory Coffee fermentation in Asian elephants". Scientific Reports. 15 (1): 40548. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-24196-0. ISSN 2045-2322. PMID 41253982. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  4. "Thailand's Black Ivory brew is a coffee with a conscience". The National. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  5. "Coffee from an elephant's gut fills a $50 cup". USA Today. Associated Press. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  6. Elkin, Allison (30 January 2015). "Meet the Canadian Trying to Make Elephant-Poo Coffee a Thing". VICE. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  7. "Asia Elephant Camps". Indochina Travel. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  8. "Anantara reports nature conservation success for wild elephants in Cambodia via charitable foundation the GTAEF". Khmer Times. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. "Elephant Dung Coffee Among World's Most Expensive, Exclusive". ABC News. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  10. Thibaut, Marion (10 June 2015). "Du café extrait de bouses d'éléphants thaïlandais vendu à prix d'or". Le Point. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  11. Hendricks, Nianne-Lynn (24 August 2018). "The new black gold". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  12. "About Black Ivory Coffee". Black Ivory Coffee. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  13. "How is Elephant-Refined Coffee Made?". Black Ivory Coffee. November 13, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  14. Smith, Alanna (2 April 2024). "In Thailand, a luxury resort offers guests an ethical elephant experience". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  15. "Harvesting Process". Black Ivory Coffee. Black Ivory Coffee Company Ltd. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  16. Mridul, Anay (14 July 2021). "Why animal-produced coffee is unethical". The Vegan Review. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  17. Peter Janssen (29 December 2012). "On the trail of 'black ivory'". Nation Thailand. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  18. Michael Sullivan (20 August 2014). "No. 1 Most Expensive Coffee Comes From Elephant's No. 2". NPR. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  19. Kintuka, Holly (19 January 2025). "World's most expensive coffee cost a whopping £40 a cup". Daily Express. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  20. "$1,500 for 'naturally refined' coffee? Here's what that phrase really means". National Geographic. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  21. Gaby Clark (14 January 2026). "Black Ivory coffee: Elephant gut bacteria may contribute to its smooth, chocolaty flavor". phys.org. Phys.org. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  22. "Coffee from an elephant's gut fills a $50 cup". USA Today. Associated Press. 2012-12-07. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  23. Culzac, Natasha (14 August 2014). "World's most expensive coffee: Black Ivory Coffee uses beans ingested by elephants". The Independent. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  24. Uwern Jong (6 January 2022). "Ritz-Carlton Toronto x Black Ivory Coffee: A gentle giant cup of coffee". OutThere Magazine. OutThere Travel. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  25. Kusek, Kathleen (15 December 2014). "Starbucks Goes Micro: Single‑Origin Coffee Is The Next Big Thing". Forbes (magazine). Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  26. Tepper, Rachel (17 October 2012). "Elephant Dung Coffee: World's Most Expensive Brew Is Made With Pooped-Out Beans". HuffPost. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  27. Coffee, Black Ivory. "1 kg of Black Ivory Coffee of (Package of 29)". Black Ivory Coffee. Retrieved 2020-08-06.