Beware the Root of the Product!

Diva Andrea and I were talking about hair today, which led to a discussion of certain products and how they are grotesquely made.  These two items were our topic of conversation:

Kopi luwak or civet coffee, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee. It is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal with a barred and spotted coat and well-developed anal scent glands) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract.  A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world with prices reaching $160 per pound.  Yes, it's actual weasel shit coffee!!!

Argan Oil - Before modern times, the Berbers (also known as the Amazighs) of Morocco would collect undigested Argan pits from the waste of goats which climb the trees to eat their fruit. The pits were then ground and pressed to make the nutty oil used in cooking and cosmetics. However, the oil used in cosmetic and culinary products available for sale today has most likely been harvested directly from the tree and processed with machines.  Whew!  I was worried those Argan oil hair products I've been using were actually goat shit!!!