What comes to your mind when you think about coffee? Some of us probably have that visual where coffee is just the dark bitter liquid. Some of us probably associate it with the café culture or that morning joe that perks you up. Whatever is your association, have you thought about the most bizarre ways of spicing up your coffee?

Coffee flavoring and garnishes have evolved from something simple like a milk or cream to today where coffee flavorist attempt to create the most unique essences and flavorings yet some might not seem like a delightful combination such as the spring onion iced latte which had gone viral in China. I know that combination sounds awful but there are people who love it and swear by it. There are many more of such examples and people like to say is unique rather than “bizarre”, as it sounds more palatable and marketable.

The other day, I came across yet another “unique” flavoring and essences of coffee. For those who often follow my coffee journey, curiosity leads my way – I am always found trying these so-called unique essence and flavoring. I am trying it so you really don’t have to fall into the same trap as I do 😉

If you haven’t, this company selling kopi luwak has figured out a way to add fish collagen into their coffee. This company has always focused on branding the supposedly expensive coffee “Kopi Luwak” into more mainstream audiences. This brand sells instant coffee and has been really famous as people bought their branding and a way to taste luwak coffee at much more affordable prices.

From some youtube shorts and tiktok around this coffee brand is famous among South Korean visitors and basically a must-purchase gift when they are visiting Indonesia. At the same time, collagen drinks are increasingly becoming more popular. It’s my personal speculation but this company has found an untapped market where there are almost no coffee brands that have figured out in the market. So, with some interest and an established brand and a quite defined market, they are willing to roll out this “unique” flavoring and call it “collagen coffee”. I wonder what goes inside the R&D department when they are trying to combine coffee and fish collagen.

In their packaging, they listed the ingredients as instant coffee and a 5% fish collagen. There are also creamers and some additional typical instant coffee ingredients. The only thing that differs is the additional fish collagen into this coffee product.

Another thing that should be noted is that this coffee brand is branded as a company who uses luwak coffee. It’s not just any coffee, but well lack of better word, it’s poop coffee. So, adding that to the equation, I’ll let you think about this combination.

You might wonder, how does it taste? Does it taste fishy?

This coffee is meant to be a hot beverage rather than ice and when I tried it, honestly, I was surprised, not really in a good way.

It simply tastes like a creamy butter coffee but with a dash of fish oil afternotes. If you hate fish oil, you might feel a little nauseous. It’s not for everyone but for those who swear by the benefit of fish collage to their skin and hair, taste is secondary. It’s like two birds with one stone, you get extra energy and also a healthier boost to your skin, and hair growth—allegedly.