NAVIGATING ORIGINS
THAILAND
by Mark McKee
When Thailand is brought up in a conversation, many people think
of the beautiful temples, floating markets in Bangkok and beach resorts
such as the ones at Pattaya Beach and Phuket Thailand. However, few
people hear “Thailand,” and think of awesome coffee; this
is especially true when drinking the coffee that is available at many
hotels and food establishments.
I certainly didn’t associate the country with coffee—much
less great coffee—so I was surprised when someone brought it to
my attention that coffee was being grown in the northern region of Thailand
known as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. My first thought of course was, “Is
this quality coffee?” When asking many of my friends in the specialty
coffee circle about this coffee, they seemed surprised as well and no
one really had an answer on the quality or had even cupped it. All of
this perked my interest, especially for a region known for its soluble
coffee and low-grown robusta. I arrived in Thailand with many questions,
wanting to know if this was one of those undiscovered remarkable coffees,
if individuals were growing coffee with sustainable practices and how
this coffee cupped. Those questions were about to be answered by more
than 1,000 coffee families, each committed to producing the highest quality
arabica coffee while practicing sustainable land care practices.
History
Coffee is relatively new to Thailand and was first introduced in the
17th and 18th centuries by the French, who owned and operated coffee
fields in nearby Burma. Initially, robusta was planted in the low-lying
southern region to create a quick cash crop for struggling families.
In 1969, the king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, officially discouraged
opium from being grown in Thailand and replaced it with various other
agricultural crops, including coffee.
Opium production thrived in the northern mountain regions due
to their temperate climate, forested areas and elevation of 1,200–1,600
meters. In the early 1970s, arabica coffee was planted in this area in
hopes of creating a quality coffee to export. The task was not an easy
one for many years before this, as slash and burn agricultural practices
were being used. Once the land was used up, they simply burned forested
areas to clear more land.
Today
Thailand has made tremendous strides since those early days and now
arabica coffee is grown in the following provinces: Chiang Mai, Chiang
Rai, Lampang, Mae Hong Son and Tak. In the Chiang Rai province, Doi Chaang
Coffee, a partnership of coffee farmers, has established an entire coffee
growing community that covers more than 6,000 acres and is surrounded
by lush old forest growth, fresh flowing spring water and incredible
mountain views. The success of producing coffee in this region has shown
measurable results for the 800 families and more than 8,000 people living
and partnering together to cultivate this incredible arabica coffee.
In the Doi Chaang village, there is now fresh running water, a sewage
system, electricity, a small school and medical clinic, as well as a
school for growing coffee that teaches sustainable agricultural practices
to the next generation. This wasn’t established by an “outsider” but
instead by the people in this community who had a desire not to just
grow coffee but to grow the best arabica coffee available.
Over to the East you come upon Chiang Mai, where these same
practices are beginning to take place by Silaa Farms. They have established
a nursery in the Hod district, which is located 148 kilometers southwest
of Chiang Mai at an elevation of 1,060 meters. In this nursery the germination
and growth of the seedlings are carefully monitored, weeded and sprayed
with Need, a locally produced organic pesticide. During the year farmers
are trained on how to prepare the ground, plant and take care of these
coffee plants. After the seedlings have been in the nursery for approximately
one year, they are given to the farmers to plant during the rainy season,
May and June.
The main cultivars grown in these regions are caturra, catimor
and catuai. Although this coffee is presently not certified-organic,
sustainable and organic practices are definitely taking place. The fertilizer
that is primarily used is recycled cherry pulp and manure and fallen
leaves. This nutritious mulch is then combined with the fruit and nut
trees to create the amazing aroma and flavor of the coffee in this region.
As mentioned earlier, forests at one time were burned to clear land for
more agricultural crops; this practice has obviously ceased and trees
are being planted in the areas that once were destroyed. These trees
not only provide shade for the coffee plants but also reduce the instances
of pests that are prevalent within a plant monoculture. The fruit trees
also provide an additional harvest of products such as plums, pears and
macadamia nuts for the farmers. Doi Chaang and Silaa Farms both use natural
spring water to process their coffee after harvesting. Due to their remote
location, they also mill all their own coffee, to ensure the quality
of this coffee from start to finish.
Cup Profile
Shawn McDonald, a Calgary, Canada-based roaster focused on relationship
coffee, has fallen in love with coffee from this region. McDonald finds
when roasting this coffee, roasters must know what they are looking for
in the bean and how to bring out those characteristics. One of the notes
that he makes in regards to coffee from this region is the lack of defects
which makes it possible to not only be consistent when roasting but also
to create the profile roast you desire. 
“When these coffees are roasted to a full medium, just at second
crack, they produce a fruity, sweet cup with a pleasant flowery fragrance,” McDonald
says. “The coffee becomes well balanced with a delicate body and
deep rich undertones and finishes clean. When the coffees are roasted
longer into the second crack, where the oil is just beginning to bead
on the bean you bring out a unique flavor that you normally do not experience
in a darker roast, the intense fruity, floral aroma is predominant and
the coffee produces a spicy and very complexed coffee with full body
and a bittersweet chocolate finish.”
Future
Although the farmers in this region are committed to producing exceptional
coffee, they face many challenges. The leading challenge is to overcome
the stereotype that coffees produced in this region are of low quality.
Another challenge is that many coffee companies want to purchase coffee
from this area but at lower prices so that they can include them in blends
and not focus them as a single-origin coffee. With both Doi Chaang and
Silaa Farms paying farmers above fair-trade prices for their coffee and
the exceptional work that is being produced, it is only a matter of time
until we in the specialty coffee industry fall in love with this coffee
that is sustainable both in an agricultural and economical sense. What
stands out to me in regards to this coffee is the incredible passion
the people of Thailand have to produce a top-quality coffee—the
result of this passion is found in the cup I am savoring right now.
MARK McKEE is a relationship coffee
consultant and roaster based out of Rockbridge Baths, Va. He is a former
coffee specialist for Tully’s coffee and can be reached at mark@passionateharvest.com.
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