ViTHE SCIENCE OF CHON COFFEE
Scientific research showed that the civet’s endogenous digestive secretions seep into the beans.(1) These secretions carry proteolytic enzymes which break down the beans’ proteins, yielding shorter peptides and more free amino acids. thus facilitating the non-enzymatic Maillard browning reactions brought about later by roasting(2).
Since the flavour of coffee owes much to its proteins, there is a hypothesis that this shift in the numbers and kinds of proteins in beans after being swallowed by civets brings forth their unique flavor and taste.
While inside a civet’s stomach or intestine, the beans begin to germinate by malting which effectively lowers their bitterness. In absence of this process, it’s a proven fact that beans of asexually reproductive coffee variants still retain much of their bitterness.
Infrared chromatograph for Chon coffee also shows that it has a higher sugar content in comparison to ordinary coffee, which might suggest a part of carbohydrate macromolecules has also been broken down to many simpler sugar molecules.(3)
Research also showed that Chon coffee is safe. It was found to have lower bacterial counts than regular coffee,(4) which is likely due to the thorough washing process after the “cherry” or endocarp surrounding the bean is removed.
The high temperature of roaster – from 170oC to 230oC — during an exposure as long as 15 minutes is also a key factor in assuring the safety as it eliminates any living bacterium.
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(1) Marcone, Massimo, Bad Taste: The Adventures And Science Behind Food Delicacies, 2007.
(2) Marcone, Massimo, Food Research International, V.37, Issue 9, p. 901-912.
(3) Analysis commissioned to Center of Laboratory Analysis, Polytechnics University of Hanoi, August 2010.
(4) Press release published by Communications and Public Affairs, University of Guelph on November 26th, 2002.