World's Costliest Coffee KOPI LUWAK

Kopi luwak or civet coffee, refers to the coffee that includes part-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).  “Luwak” is the Indonesian word for a species of Asian Palm Civet and “kopi” means coffee. Kopi luwak or civet coffee is one of the best-tasting coffees in the world and also one of the most expensive. People are willing to pay hundreds of dollar for only a small amount of this coffee. Here are some interesting facts about this exotic kopi luwak.  

The origin and production

• Kopi Luwak is originated from Indonesian archipelago. The main producers of this commodity are the islands of Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java and Bali.
• Kopi luwak is not a type of coffee, it is instead a process. The coffee is made out of undigested innards of coffee fruits that have been eaten by civet, passed its digestive tract and excreted. Yes, kopi luwak comes from feces. So to create this beverage, coffee beans left in civet droppings have to be thoroughly washed, sun-dried, roasted, ground and brewed. The dung is usually found under coffee trees.
• Civet is fruit eater, nighttime forager, shy and peaceful, weasel-like animal endemic to the South East Asian rain forest.
• This unique beverage was invented accidentally by native Dutch East Indies plantation worker on Java and Sumatra Islands in 19^th century. At that time the Dutch ruler established numerous Arabica coffee plantations in their East Indies colonies including Indonesia. The locals were forced to work in the plantations but they were not allowed to have a taste of this famous coffee. Curiosity had led the native workers to observe that after swallowing coffee fruits and dissolving the flesh from the bean, civets will leave the beans in their droppings undigested. After being cleaned and processed, the beans create extraordinary taste and aroma. The workers were amazed by the flavor of the beverage that they had just created.
• The fame of this new kind of beverage spread and it soon became popular among the Dutch and Japanese soldiers who occupied Indonesia during World War II.
• After the Second World War the coffee was disappeared from the market until it resumed its popularity in the 2007.
• Kopi Luwak is also produced in the Philippines, Vietnam and East Timor. Almost all civet population in the world is found only in Indonesia and the Philippines. 
  
   

Why it tastes different?

• The good taste and rich aroma come from proteolysis enzymes seeping into the beans and breaking down the beans’ protein when they are inside the civet’s stomach.  As the taste of coffee is very much determined by its protein composition, this stomach enzymes and acids contribute a lot in producing the unique flavor.
• In addition to the protein breaking down process that lowers the beans’ protein, they are also undergoing a process of malting that reduces their bitterness.
• Before swelling the coffee fruit, the civets use their nose to sniff the juiciest fruit. Only the reddest and ripest are selected by the civets.
• The coffee has extremely low bitterness and thick texture. The brew is described as smooth, buttery and chocolaty. The taste lasts for as long as three hours after sipping a cup. The distinct aroma is strong. It smells different, tastes different and looks different from any others.
• Studies in the USA reveal that the number of flavor elements contained in kopi luwak is 30% greater than in other coffee.
• The taste can vary greatly depending on the variety of coffee fruits (Arabica, Robusta, or many others) eaten by the civets, the bean’s roasting levels and the diet of the civets. In Sumatra, Indonesia, the fruits are mostly Arabica varieties.
  

Price and availability

• Kopi luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, selling for between US$100 and $600 per pound in 2010.^[1] The specialty Vietnamese weasel coffee, which is made by collecting coffee beans eaten by wild civets, is sold at US$3,000 per kilogram. Most customers are Asian, especially those originating from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Sources vary widely as to annual worldwide production.
• The price paid to collectors in the Philippines is closer to US$20 per kilogram.
• Some specialty coffee shops sell cups of brewed kopi luwak for US$35–$80. Some coffee shops in Jakarta serve kopi luwak for US$6–10.
  

Recent development

• The number of palm civets living in the wild had diminished quickly. Civets are traditionally considered as pest. They are hunted for their meat. In addition, the conversion of forested land on the island of Sumatra for agriculture and human settlement had eroded civet habitat. The species is now in endangered status.
• To overcome the above problem, captive breeding of civet is now being practiced. The civets are kept inside caged farm. They are fed with coffee fruits every night and the beans in their dung will be collected every morning. Thus ensuring regular supply of civet coffee beans. In Indonesia, individuals begin to keep civets in their backyard and start a mini farm. Farming makes kopi luwak industry less labor intensive.
• Besides civet, a species of barking deer, locally called as muntjak can also process coffee beans inside their tummy in a similar manner. However the taste is not really the same as kopi luwak.
• Various researches are being developed to find innovative ways to produce kopi luwak without involvement of civets. A coffee company in Vietnam had successfully developed synthetic enzyme that can imitate the work of civet’s digestive enzymes. Study conducted by University of Florida had managed to produce technology to make imitation of kopi luwak. This technology is now licensed to a firm operating in Florida, USA.  
  
  
  
  

Facts about Kopi Luwak

1. Kopi luwak is manufactured in different places such as Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. However, according to coffee connoisseurs, the one that comes from Sumatra islands is considered the best.
2. There are two types of civet coffee – wild and farmed. The former is superior and original whereas the latter is said to be inferior in taste and quality.
3. Arabica kopi luwak, made from high-altitude regions in the Sumatra islands, are considered to be the stronger and flavorsome than Robusta kopi luwak, which is cultivated in relatively low-altitude areas.
4. The “Cat poo coffee” gained media attention when it was featured in the movie “the Bucket List” and Oprah Winfrey Show.
5. The annual production of kopi luwak all over the world is estimated to be about 700 kg only. This makes it the rarest coffee in the world.
6. Japan is the world’s biggest consumer of civet coffee. U.S comes next with importers purchasing nearly one-fifth of the estimated output.
7. Most coffee lovers consider kopi luwak as a prestigious drink. A single cup of civet coffee sells at around $30 to $80 in U.S., $45 in South Korea, and around $45 to $90 in other countries.
8. Research reports have shown that kopi luwak has a lot of health benefits. It helps prevent cancer, skin diseases, neurological disorders, gallstone diseases, protects the teeth, and controls type 2 diabetes.
9. Traditionally, the coffee was so rare because harvesters had to scour the rain forest floor looking for civet droppings that contained coffee beans. In recent years, some people have started caging wild civets and feeding them the beans directly.

ASUS : Through the years.........

ASUSTek Computer Inc., usually referred to as ASUS and in Chinese Huáshuò, and trading under that name, is a Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan Its products include desktops, laptops, notebooks, mobile phones, networking equipment, monitors, projectors, motherboards, graphics cards, optical storage, multimedia products, peripherals, wearable’s, servers, workstations, and tablet PCs. 

ASUS takes its name from Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. ASUS embodies the strength, purity, and adventurous spirit of this fantastic creature, and soars to new heights with each new product it creates. Only the last four letters of the word were used in order to give the name a high position in alphabetical listings. They wanted to be on top of the list when it was coming to their products, so they changed their name to Asus. Now they appeared at the top, or just after Apple on any alphabetical list! After that the company went on making millions of circuits or full devices every year and makes billions of dollars in revenues! 

The company's slogan/tagline was "Rock Solid. Heart Touching", then "Inspiring Innovation. Persistent Perfection." and is currently "In Search of Incredible." 

Taiwan’s Information Technology industry has grown enormously over the last few decades and the country is now a dominant force in the global market. ASUS has long been at the forefront of this growth and while the company started life as a humble motherboard manufacturer with just a handful of employees, it is now the leading technology company in Taiwan with over 21,361 employees worldwide.

UNKNOWN FACTS OF ASUS

1. ASUS has manufactured 5 000 million motherboards! 
2. AsusTeK Computer Inc. (formally Asus) was founded on 2nd April 1989 as Pegasus.
3. Pegasus was renamed Asus to stay at top in alphabetical search results.
4. Asus was founded by four ex-Acer hardware engineers – M.T. Liao, Wayne Hsieh, Ted Hsu and T. H. Yung.
5. Asus’ tagline intially was “Rock Solid. Heart Touching”, then “Inspiring Innovation” and is currently “In Search of Incredible”.
6. Asus’s headquarters is in Taipei, Taiwan.
7. Asus has more than 21,361 employees worldwide (2013 data).
8. Asus is the world’s third largest PC vendor (after Lenovo and HP) according to the record of units sold in 2014.
9. Asus’ High-Tech Park which is located in Suzhou, China covers 5,800,000 square feet.
10. ASUS CEO, Jonney Shih, is keen on classical art, that’s why he demands his colleagues to create the pieces of art, not just technology. It’s the secret of refinement and beauty of ASUS products.
11. Asus operates more than 50 service sites across 32 countries.
12. Asus has more than 400 service partners worldwide.
13. Asus initially manufactured computer motherboards.
14. In September of 2005, Asus launched its very first PhysX accelerator card.
15. In December 2005, Asus entered into LCD TV market by launching its very first LCD TV – TLW32001.
16. In January 2006, Asus announced its cooperation with Lamborghini to develop the VX series.
17. On 9th March of 2006, Asus got selected by Microsoft to manufacture first Microsoft Origami (an ultra-mobile PC or UMPC) models.
18. In 2006, Asus got HSPM [Hazardous Substance Process Management) and IECQ [IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronics Component) certification.
19. On 5th January 2007, Asus launched its very first Linux-based OS running laptop – the Eee PC at COMPUTEX 2007 events in Taipei.
20. On 9th of September 2007, Asus announced that it will release notebooks with Blu-ray support.
21. In 2007, Oekom Research marked Asus as a highly environmental friendly company.
22. Sometimes developers are too focused on the technical characteristics of the product, that’s why it’s hard for them to understand why a certain product is sold in small amounts. To avoid such misunderstanding, one of the principles of ASUS company is to test the product as a customer, without thinking too much about the features, but trying to use it with convenience. It’s a means to reveal all the flaws of the product.
23. In January 2008, Asus announced its division into three independent companies – Asus (to manufacture computers and other electronics), Pegatron (to focus on OEM manufacturing of motherboards and other components) and Unihan Corporation (to focus on non-technical manufacturing such as cases).
24. In February 2008, Asus released its very first sound card – the Xonar DX.
25. In October 2008, Asus awarded with 11 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold Awards.
26. In November 2008, Asus got EU Flower certification for its N-Series of notebooks.
27. 9th of December 2008, Asus became the member of Open Handset Alliance.
28. Asus ranked first position in the 2008 Taiwan Top 10 Global Brand survey.
29. In December 2010, Asus launched world’s thinnest notebook – the Asus U36.
30. Asus also manufactured Google Nexus 7 which was launched in July 2012.
31. In January 2013, the production of Eee PC was officially ended by Asus in the favor of manufacturing tablets and UltraBooks.
32. On 24th of July 2013, Asus announced the successor of Nexus 7 and released it after two days.
33. In 2013, Asus launched its most innovative gadget – the Transformer Book Trio which worked as an Android-based tablet (when detached to its keyboard) and worked as Windows 8-running PC (when attached to its keyboard).
34. In the first half of 2015 ASUS became the leader of SIM-free smartphones, with the market share of 29,6%of customers.

This visionary approach is the reason ASUS is able to bring high-quality innovation and design to all, and the reason for its widespread acclaim. ASUS products won 4,256 international awards and accolades in 2013 – that’s over 11 a day, every day. ASUS has consistently achieved significant year-on-year growth in terms of consumer notebook units shipped too, and closed 2011 on a high with revenues hitting US$11.9 billion.

THE DANGEROUS PIRANHAS.........

Piranhas are small fish with a big reputation and big teeth!

Piranhas are freshwater fish, and live in the rivers and streams of South America.

The piranha’s fearsome reputation is partly due to fact, and partly due to fiction. 

Although piranhas are predatory, they are also just as likely to be preyed on by other animals.

Piranha Species

There are at least 20 species of piranha – and there could be as many as 60! Scientists are unsure of exactly how many species there are. Piranhas come in an array of different colors, including yellow, gray, blue, red, and black.

One of the most common species of piranhas is the red-bellied piranha, so named for its reddish belly. Another common type of piranha is the black piranha.

Appearance & Size

The piranha is a relatively small fish with a round body, large head, and bulldog-like face. Piranhas can grow to between 8 and 15 inches (20-37 cm) long. Piranhas swim in groups called shoals. There are usually around 20 piranhas in a shoal.

Although it was once believed that piranhas swim in shoals in order to attack, it is now thought that swimming in groups provides protection from predators.

Piranha Teeth

The piranha’s most notable characteristic is of course its set of razor sharp teeth. The teeth are triangular in shape and are used to puncture and tear the fish’s prey.

A piranha’s teeth are replaced continuously throughout its lifetime. The teeth grow in four sets; one for each corner of the fish’s mouth. Sets are replaced every 100 days. It’s not uncommon to find a piranha with half of its bottom teeth missing, waiting for the new set to emerge.

A young fish of only 6 inches can already possess teeth that are 1/6 of an inch long!

Relationship with Humans

Piranha teeth are often used to make tools and weapons by the indigenous population. Piranhas are also popular as food, although if an individual piranha is caught on a hook and line, it may be attacked by others.

Piranhas can be bought as pets in some areas, but they are illegal in many parts of the United States. It is illegal to import piranhas into the Philippines and violators could face six months to four years in jail.

The most common aquarium piranha is Pygocentrus nattereri, the red-bellied piranha. Piranhas can be bought fully grown or as young, often no larger than a thumbnail. It is important to keep Pygocentrus piranhas alone or in groups of four or more, not in pairs, since aggression among them is common, not allowing the weaker fish to survive, and is distributed more widely when kept in larger groups. It is not uncommon to find individual piranhas with one eye missing due to a previous attack.

Piranhas Attacks

Attacks resulting in deaths have occurred in the Amazon basin. In the city of Palmas, Tocantins, 190 piranha attacks were reported in the first half of 2007. In 2011, a series of attacks in the Brazilian state of Piauí resulted in 100 people being injured. In the state of São Paulo, another attack in the Tietê River resulted in 15 injured people. In 2011, a drunken 18-year-old man was attacked and killed in Rosario Del Yata, Bolivia. In 2012, a five-year-old Brazilian girl was attacked and killed by a shoal of P. nattereri. Some Brazilian rivers have warning signs about lethal piranhas. On 25 December 2013, 70 bathers were attacked in Argentina. And in February 2015, a six-year-old girl died after being eaten by piranhas when her grandmother's boat capsized during a holiday in Brazil.

According to one study in Suriname, piranha attacks tend to peak in the dry season when food is relatively scarce and the water levels are lower, leading to heavier than usual concentrations of fish in the water. Fatal attacks are rare, and most attacks take the form of individual nips and bites to extremities such as the feet and hands. Splashing tends to make piranhas more likely to attack, and children are often attacked for this reason.

Pet  Piranhas?

Believe it or not, there are people who actually keep piranhas as "pets". Piranhas aren't good pets in the traditional sense because you can't hold or pet them, and they aren't affectionate. Piranha owners still must be extremely careful of the fish's sharp teeth and aggressive nature. Keeping them well fed is probably the key to keeping them mellow.

People who fancy piranhas as pets may be more attracted to the grisly reputation and aggressive manner of these world-class predators, perhaps keeping them for their "entertainment" value. That's O.K. - its human nature to be fascinated with morbid and gruesome creatures. But piranhas are also very beautiful fish. As long as anyone desires to take a creature out of the wild and bring into captivity they must take the responsibility of treating it with respect and good care.

                      Interesting Facts about Piranhas

1.  Piranhas have lived in South America for millions of years

   Today, piranhas inhabit the freshwaters of South America from the Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela up to the Paraná River in Argentina. Though estimates vary, around 30 species inhabit the lakes and rivers of South America today. Fossil evidence puts piranha ancestors in the continent’s rivers 25 million years ago, but modern piranha genera may have only been around for 1.8 million years.
   A 2007 study suggests that modern species diverged from a common ancestor around 9 million years ago. Also, the Atlantic Ocean rose around 5 million years ago, expanding into the flood plains of the Amazon and other South American rivers. The high salt environment would have been inhospitable to freshwater fish, like piranhas, but some likely escaped upriver to higher altitudes. Genetic analysis suggests that piranhas living above 100 meters in the Amazon have only been around for 3 million years.

2. Piranhas found outside South America are usually pets on the lam

   Piranhas attract a certain type of pet lover, and sometimes when the fish gets too large for its aquarium said pet lover decides it’s much better off in the local lake. In this manner, piranhas have shown up in waterways around the globe from Great Britain to China to Texas. It’s legal to own a piranha in some areas, but obviously never a good idea to release them into the wild, as the species could become invasive.

3. Piranha teeth are pretty intense but replaceable

   Piranhas are known for their razor-sharp teeth and relentless bite. (The word piranha literally translates to “tooth fish” in the Brazilian language Tupí.) Adults have a single row of interlocking teeth lining the jaw. True piranhas have tricuspid teeth, with a more pronounced middle cuspid or crown, about 4 millimeters tall.
   The shape of a piranha’s tooth is frequently compared to that of a blade and is clearly adapted to suit their meat-eating diet. The actual tooth enamel structure is similar to that of sharks.
   It’s not uncommon for piranhas to lose teeth throughout their lifetime. But, while sharks replace their teeth individually, piranhas replace teeth in quarters multiple times throughout their lifespan, which reaches up to eight years in captivity. A piranha with half of its lower jaw chompers missing isn’t out of the ordinary.

4. A strong bite runs in the family

   Though they are hardly as menacing as fiction suggests, piranhas do bite with quite a bit of force. In a 2012 study in Scientific Reports, researchers found that black (or redeye) piranhas (Serrasalmus rhombeus)—the largest of modern species—bite with a maximum force of 72 pounds (that’s three times their own body weight).
   Using a tooth fossil model, they found that piranhas' 10-million-year-old extinct ancestor, Megapiranha paranensis, had a jaw-tip bite force—the force that jaw muscles can exert through the very tip of its jaw—of as high as 1,068 pounds. For reference, the M. paranensis when alive weighed only 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds), so that’s roughly 50 times the animal’s body weight.
   Science notes that T. rex’s estimated bite force is three times higher than that of this ancient piranha—but the king of the reptiles also weight a lot more. M. paranensis also had two rows of teeth, while modern piranhas have just the one. It’s not clear exactly what this ancient fish ate, but whatever it was, it must have required some serious chomps.

5. Humans and capybaras are only part of the piranha diet if these prey already dead or dying

   The idea that a piranha could rip a human to shreds is probably more legend than fact, too. For the curious, Popular Science spoke to some experts who estimate that stripping the flesh from a 180-pound human in 5 minutes would require approximately 300 to 500 piranhas. Cases of heart attack and epilepsy that ended with the afflicted drowning in a South American river do show evidence of piranha nibbles, but in those instances, the victim was already deceased when piranhas got involved.
   While the myth of the man-eating piranha belongs to movie theaters, the Internet has a wealth of mysterious footage of piranha packs taking down capybaras. Some piranhas do occasionally eat small mammals, but as with humans, it’s usually when the unfortunate animal is already dead or gravely injured.

6. Some piranhas are cannibals

   A typical piranha diet consists of insects, fish, crustaceans, worms, carrion, seeds and other plant material. A red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), for example, eats about 2.46 grams per day—about one-eighth of its average body mass. Crustaceans, bugs, and scavenged scraps make up the largest chunk of their meals, but the balance of this diet can shift depending on the fish’s age and the food sources available.
   So occasionally when resources are low and competition for food is high, piranhas have been known to take a chunk out of a fellow piranha, living or dead. Even weirder, wimple piranhas (Catoprion mento) feed on fish scales, which contain a protein mucus layer that’s surprisingly nutritious.

7. Some are vegetarians

   Despite their flesh-eating reputation, some piranhas are omnivorous, eating more seeds than meat, and some even subsist on plants alone. For example, in the Amazonian rapids of the Trombetas basin in Pará, Brazil, scientists discovered that Tometes camunani lives solely off of riverweeds.
   
   Piranhas' closest relative, the pacu or tambaqui fish (Colossoma macropomum), also lives on a mostly meat-free diet. Pacus closely resemble some piranha species in size and coloration, and thus, are often sold at fish markets as, “vegetarian piranhas,” as well as other less flattering nicknames.

8. When hunting prey, piranhas go for the tail and eyes

   A 1972 study in red-bellied piranhas found that the fish most frequently attacked goldfish in a lab setting beginning with their prey’s tail and/or eyes. The researchers concluded that such an attack strategy would effectively immobilize piranhas’ opponents and prove useful for survival.

9. Piranhas bark

   From anecdotes and observational research, scientists have known for a while that red-bellied piranhas make bark-like noises when caught by fishermen. Upon further examination, a team of Belgian scientists found that they make three distinctive types of vocalization in different situations.
   In a visual staring contest with another fish, they start making quick calls that sound similar to barks, meant as a warning along the lines of, “Don’t mess with me, buddy.” In the act of actually circling or fighting another fish, piranhas emit low grunts or thud sounds, which researchers believe communicates more of a direct threat to the other fish.
   The fish makes these two sounds using its swim bladder, a gas-containing organ that keeps fish afloat. Piranhas contract and relax muscles around the swim bladder to make noises of different frequencies.
   The third vocalization? Should the opposing fish not back down, the piranha will gnash its teeth together and chase its rival. 
10.  Piranhas seem to be attracted to noise, splashing, and blood
     A 2007 study linked noise, splashing, and spilling food, fish, or blood into the river with three instances of piranha attacks on humans in Suriname. Piranhas might be naturally attuned to pick up on the sound of fruits and nuts falling from trees and hitting the water and, thus, mistake splashing children for the noise associated with food.
    As for blood, it likely does not render a piranha senseless as the movies would suggest, but piranhas can smell a drop of blood in 200 liters of water. So, if you are a bleeding, rambunctious child, a dip in the Amazon might not be the best idea.

11. They’re great grilled or in soup

    In some parts of the Amazon, eating piranha is considered taboo—a common cultural perception for predatory fish—while others are convinced it’s an aphrodisiac. Piranha soup is popular in the Pantanal region of Brazil, but many choose to serve the fish grilled on a banana leaf with tomatoes and limes for garnish.
12. Piranhas’ teeth are triangular shaped and as sharp as sharks’ teeth.
13. Only 3 species of Piranhas are considered dangerous to humans:
    a. Black shoulder Piranha
    b. Red-bellied Piranha (average sized at 13 inches and 3 pounds)
    c. Sao Francisco Piranha (largest at 24 inches and 13 pounds)
    
14. When Piranhas attack a large animal, they eat the flesh and muscle in seconds, and leave only the skeleton.