Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

(AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

Coffee picked from elephant dung costs €40 a cup

The coffee, produced in Thailand, is said to be among the most expensive in the world.

SOME OF THE most expensive coffee in the world is being produced by a herd of elephants.

In northern Thailand, the herd of 20 are eating beans and then the same beans are plucked a day later from their dung.

The coffee, which has been called “earthy” in flavour and “smooth” on the palate, is also among the world’s priciest , setting you back €850 per kilogram or €390 per pound.

For now, only the wealthy or well-travelled have access to the cuppa, which is called Black Ivory Coffee.

A coffee bean picked from elephant dung. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

“When an elephant eats coffee, its stomach acid breaks down the protein found in coffee, which is a key factor in bitterness,” said Blake Dinkin, who developed the coffee. “You end up with a cup that’s very smooth without the bitterness of regular coffee.”

Meena, a 12-year old elephant, eats coffee beans mixed with fruits. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

Would you spend €40 on cup of ‘elephant coffee’?


Poll Results:

I do not know (1020)
No, sounds crap (928)
Yes, why not? (185)

Additional reporting - AP

Read: Tubridy’s Late Late Toy Show jumper sold for €10,000 >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
49 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute lambda sensor
    Favourite lambda sensor
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:16 PM

    Who makes this kinda stuff up? I really don’t understand the mentality of the type of people who would go out of their way to play on people’s fears with a view to stealing from them (information, bank details, whatever).

    159
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Favourite Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:36 PM

    @lambda sensor: I agree, but if it is a text message it should have a source number so the telephone operators should be able to pass on the information to the gardai. I assume it is an offence to impersonate a government or state (or any) organisation.

    Jail without access to the internet for the duration to these scam individuals. If coming from abroad then block the foriegn operators numbers from all texts and calls to Ireland

    The telecom operators can be very quick to protect themselves but are lacking in protecting it’s customs. Bet they could stop all texts with the link in it and other scams but for some reason they seem slow to act. Yet social media platforms can stop the spread and remove stuff if needed.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Corrigan
    Favourite David Corrigan
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:47 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: There are many SIM card providers out there now so it would be very difficult to track things back to the source. With GSM cards being so cheap and easy to use plus the availability of GSM application SIM cards it is a very simple thing to setup a PC controlled system which will spit out messages all day. Those messages are not even sent from a standard off the shelf phone.

    9
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute DK Innovation
    Favourite DK Innovation
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 1:27 PM

    @David Corrigan:
    If it is a foreign network, block the whole network and tell them to figure it out…

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Favourite Niall Ó Cofaigh
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 1:28 PM

    @David Corrigan: I have no doubt that they are almost certainly run from a device and not single composed messages in most cases and might be hard to trace back – ISP logs could help. But even if the guys could not be stopped the mobile operators could stop messages based upon content unless they have now encrypted plain text messages. We can then go to the ISP to block access to that link. Or do what they did in the USA, do a DNS redirected.

    When telecom sites were replicated and phishing sites created to mimic them these sites were blocked or unhosted within 30 minutes – so it is possible to block access and prevent too much harm being done.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Horan
    Favourite John Horan
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 1:29 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: it can be configured in a way that you only see the name of the sender (the name they give themselves) like when you get a text message from your bank with a one time password to login. The sender in turn can be located abroad.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Hammond
    Favourite Dave Hammond
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 1:59 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: the whole world is seeing cyber theft and scams it is not unique to telcos that you allege ( wrongly ) that are sitting back and not taking action – there is an enormous amount of money and effort and resources spent by operators to try shut down scams – unfortunately once the the internet has been opened to all the smartfones then these challenges get more and more difficult – it is not as straight forward as blocking a call ( I work in this field )

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eug J Cummins
    Favourite Eug J Cummins
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:42 PM

    Surely the network operators can block this fake information from circulating .

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Corrigan
    Favourite David Corrigan
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:48 PM

    @Eug J Cummins: Would be next to impossible to do this.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vin
    Favourite Vin
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 4:31 PM

    @David Corrigan: block mass commercial texts that use the term HSE that are not from an authorised sender

    1
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Laura Crowe
    Favourite Laura Crowe
    Report
    Apr 12th 2020, 8:55 AM

    @Eug J Cummins: They can (and used to many years ago) but wont now.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brynþór Patrekursson
    Favourite Brynþór Patrekursson
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 12:57 PM

    It would actually be straightforward, but would block advertising companies. These are sent by international SMS relays, and it would take 5 seconds to turn on a block if no number or name present.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Isabel Oliveira
    Favourite Isabel Oliveira
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 2:07 PM

    Ah any close contact of a positive case would know this is fake . 24 days not one call from HSE. Luckily I contacted my contacts myself . Everybody in same circumstances should do it . If you know you’ve been exposed , contact the people you were with and tell them to quarantine and call their GP. Same if you’re a positive case . Otherwise it’s “ waiting for Godot”.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick Mangan
    Favourite Patrick Mangan
    Report
    Apr 11th 2020, 1:54 PM

    Those f@#£ers should be shot with balls of there own s#%T

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds