POO COFFEE EXTRAVAGANZA....

REUTERS- Kopi Luwak, made in Indonesia from coffee beans excreted by native civet cats, is reputedly the world's rarest and most expensive coffee, extracted by hand from the animals' forest droppings. Civet cats, considered a delicacy in China, are linked to the SARS respiratory virus that emerged in the south of that country in 2002 and spread globally. When roasted, the resulting beans sell for around $1,000 a kilogram ($450 a pound) and brew into an earthy, syrupy, coffee experts as one of the world's finest. Australia's first civet cat brew has only just gone on sale in Queensland state, selling for a $50 a cup at the Heritage Tea Rooms, west of Townsville. "Everyone calls it cat poo coffee," cafe owner Michelle Sharpe told the Australian Associated Press.

COFFEE GAINS POPULARITY IN CHINA

According to an article by the Bureau Report, coffee consumption is gaining popularity against tea and so is coffee production. Official data showed Chinese coffee exports jumped 40.8 percent to 6,484 tons during the first quarter of this year, with more than 4,000 tons headed for Germany and Japan. It imported 4,642 tons in the first quarter, down 5.7 percent year-on-year. "When we began a coffee business here in 1998, our monthly sales were about 10 kilos. Now our sales are calculated in tons," said Zhou Zhihua, a coffee trader based in Yunnan's provincial capital, Kunmin. However, industry officials say Chinese production is still too small for some roasters to pay much attention, especially as growing domestic demand is absorbing a large chunk of it.

EURO CAFE PICS....

EURO BREAD & CAFE, Fort Laudedale.

In downtown Fort Lauderdale I found this traditional and urban French café and bakery. French bread with prosiutto, mini butter croissants and delicious and creamy espresso are the top sellers in Euro Bakery and Café. They offer a wide variety of baked goods, sandwiches, gourmet salads, teas and coffee drinks. The local is spacious, well decorated and cozy. Euro Bakery and Café is just one block north of Broward Blvd and 3rd Ave. They have an awesome breakfast special for only $2.50.