Of Cocoa, Coffee, and Civet Cats

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A number of farms in the Tampaksiring-Kintamani area north of Ubud have realized that there are any number of visitors who have a deep interest in chocolate, coffee, and spices. These farms are open to the public, usually for free, figuring, and rightly so, that you will buy some of their products directly from the farm.

My driver took me to Santi Agrowisata on the way back from seeing the holy springs at Tirta Empul, and I’m glad he did. With me, if you say coffee and cocoa in the same sentence, my little ears perk right up.

Unlike rice cultivation, which requires dedicated fields, at Santi Agrowisata the plants are intercropped. That means that as you walk the shady paths you will find coffee plants next to vanilla beans around the corner from cocoa plants, with ginger and lemon grass growing along the edges. Stop and smell the spices!

Santi Agrowisata also produces luwak coffee. Luwak is a very special coffee, produced in association with civet cats. These nocturnal animals forage through areas planted with coffee trees, eating the beans. The beans pass through the animal’s digestive track undigested, and are excreted in their feces. In the morning, farmers search for the civet’s scat. The beans are separated from the fecal matter, washed, roasted, ground and brewed into coffee.

Luwak coffee is supposedly some of the most delicate and delicious coffee in the world. The trip through the digestive track of the civet cat is said to remove any trace of bitterness from the coffee. I didn’t try luwak coffee. I meant to, really I did. But every time I came across a café serving it, I somehow just never had enough cash on me to buy a cup.

At the end of my walk through the plantation, I was given samples of some of the most delicious coffee and tea I have every tasted, all of which is (of course) for sale in the gift shop. But the real deal here is the 100%!o(MISSING)rganic Balinese dark chocolate. It comes in quarter kilo bars, and trust me, it tastes nothing like anything that ever came out of Hershey - or Cadbury. I sheepishly admit to not sharing. I also got a chance to sample local fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen, and snake skin fruit, all of which were absolutely delicious.

Bali, May 2020

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Photos

Roasting coffee
At Santi Agrowisata coffee is still roasted by hand over a wood fire.

Overlook
As you sit and sample coffee, you look over this beautiful valley terraced with rice paddies.

Comments

[menanda]

e-mail address for santi agrowisata
Hi there We visited the farm during the same time as you and actually bought some tea from them. Unfortunately, though, I threw away the packaging but would like to order more from them. You did not perhaps happen to get their details/e-maill address? Thanks. Menanda Hollands

[Barbara]

Natural Lemon Tea
Hi We recently visited your premisis and purchased some of the natural lemon tea and love it!!. We were wondering if you have distrabution outlets in Perth Western Australia or anywhere in Australia? If not how would we be able to purchase some from you and get it over to Perth? Thank you

[margaret]

Ginger tea
I too also visited the plantation and purchased ginger tea and lemon tea Would love to find out if you have a distributor in Perth Australia ?? thank you

[Barbara]

need more plz
Hi I was wondering how if there is a email or contact to the farm so i can purchase more of the products I brought home. Thanks Barbara

[Maree]

Contact for Santi Agro Wisata
We've just come back from Bali and had the pleasure to sample teas and coffees at Santi on the way to a Kintamani Bicycle Tour. We sampled the Luwak Coffee (tastes similar to Turkish Coffee) and fell in love with the Lemon Tea and the Ginseng Coffee. While we purchased some to bring home, we have now realised that we didn't bring enough LOL There are two phone numbers on the package that you might like to try; 081933117053 or 087860360163. They are mobile numbers so when you dial, drop the 0. Indonesia country code is 62. Hope this helps.

[Joe katassonoff]

Santi pure bali dark chocolate
We recently received a gift of bali chocolate and were extremely impressed. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a contact in British Columbia or on line where one could purchase more of this fine chocolate.

[wendy mcconville]

Pure lemon grass tea
Just wondering where you can purchase this in Melbourne Australia or do you have an address where I can purchase this product from ?

[Wendy]

Where to buy in Australia
Can this be purchased in Australia or where to buy onlne?

[Kuan Yin]

Sorry...no more info
A number of people have asked me for contact info for Santi Agrowisata, and I'm sorry, but I do not have any information for them. But that gives you a good excuse to go to Bali, eh?

[Catherine]

Contact details
Hello, I have just come back and also bought some of there wonderful products. These are the only details i can find on the packaging Br. Temen, Tampaksiring Gianyar, Bali Hp. 081 933 117 053, 087 860 360 163

[Wendy Johnson]

Thankyou
Sounds like somewhere I must go next time I go to Bali - although I have been several times I hadn't heard about the cocoa and chocolate before !

[Janice Li]

We were cheated by a farm owner
On 8 September 2012, our driver brought us to a farm which located at Br. Temen, Tampaksiring, Gianyar, Bali (his mobile phone is 081337010994 or 0-361-8035707). We were happy that the owner of farm was so nice to show us the coconut tree, coffee tree, and others, and let us try different tastes coffee. He told us that were instant coffee, no need to add sugar, each pack of coffee were contained BLACK SUGAR which was organic. So we bought many packs of coffee he strongly recommended. We are so angry that not only the price, of course almost 3times of the market price, but also the sugar contained is white sugar, disagreed with his mentioned, black orangic sugar. I comment it because I hope no one will be cheated by the bad owner.

[Kuan Yin]

RE: Cheated
So sorry you had an unhappy experience. There are several farms open to the public in Tampaksiring, sounds like you went to a different farm. As I recall, Santi Agrowisanti did not sell any instant coffee.