A look at Thailand’s prized coffee bean and the unique ecosystem it is creating

[snoop1130]

 

Bangkok, 24 August, 2021 – Coffee, which is known by the universal word, or กาแฟ (“Cafe”) in the Thai language, is more popular than ever in the Kingdom. Over the past few years, the emergence of a coffee culture fuelled by creativity in marketing and design online has hyped interest in the product exponentially.

 

Coffee production is relatively new to Thailand. Starting as recently as the early 1970s, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great created agricultural projects in the northernmost provinces to help local farmers make income and gain knowledge by expanding into a new agribusiness.

 

In more recent times, Thailand has gained recognition on the world stage. In 2014, Thailand was recognised as one of the top 25 coffee producers in the world. However, the country is unique amongst coffee producers- most of the coffee grown domestically is sold and consumed here, with less than 10% of the annual yield being exported to other countries.

 

There are two primary types of coffee being grown in Thailand: robusta and arabica. Robusta beans, which are grown primarily in the Southern provinces, are often used to produce instant coffee. Alternatively, arabica beans are predominantly grown in the Northern region by local communities of ethnic Hmong and Karen people. As such, the expansion of the coffee industry in Thailand has had a direct positive impact on the livelihoods of the indigenous communities farming the product.

 

The expansion of the coffee industry alongside the relatively low export of the beans has created an ecosystem in which the coffee business is growing – and thriving – throughout the country. Along the way, there have been many exciting new developments that have made coffee a part of everyday life in Thailand, as well as opened up opportunities for consumers to partake.

 

Endless craft coffee shops are popping up throughout the country, but the classic streetside coffee culture has not dissipated. Even today, there are “street food” versions of classic coffee stands all over the place, even on rural roadsides, that serve coffee beverages made from instant coffee for 30 Baht or less.

 

As the Thai coffee industry expands, new businesses of all types are opening to support the supply chain, including everything from agriculture supplies to packaging and the actual beans. A few distinguished Thai coffee brands include Doi Chang, Doi Tung, and Doi Thai.

 

Delicious local beverages

 

Interestingly, the expansion of the coffee industry in Thailand has led to an evolution of the beverages adapted to the tropical climate. More often than not, coffee shops are gearing their menus towards cold and refreshing coffee drinks, usually focusing on the appearance as much as the taste.

 

Even more exciting, the creative envelope of coffee drink recipes is being pushed further. More than ever, coffee connoisseurs are incorporating other local products grown in Thailand into their tasty coffee beverages, including coconut, guava, lychee, and even strawberries.

 

For those interested in a hands-on learning experience, a few well-known coffee producers in Chiang Mai offer tours of the plantations year-round. Plantations in Doi Chang, one of the original Thai coffee production sites located just outside of Chiang Mai city, provide tours and tastings.

 

There are also plenty of options for cafe hopping and coffee tasting in the Northern provinces where the coffee is grown and in more densely-populated cities like Bangkok, where the coffee-meets-art culture is taking off.

 

For more information about what is happening with coffee in Thailand, and perhaps some inspiration for which beverage or coffee shop you should try next, check out the #BKKCAFEHOPPING hashtag on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bkkcafehopping/

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2021/08/a-look-at-thailands-prized-coffee-bean-and-the-unique-ecosystem-it-is-creating/

[smedly]

surprised someone isn't claiming it helps people infected with covid

[tonray]

50 minutes ago, smedly said:

surprised someone isn't claiming it helps people infected with covid

I heard it kills worms better than Ivermectin

[tifino]

I use it on the garden bed to kill pests...

   I'd heard about what it does to ones kitchen sink drain, and that the garden usage was listed as a better alyternative end-use for it

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

For more information about what is happening with coffee in Thailand, and perhaps some inspiration for which beverage or coffee shop you should try next, check out the #BKKCAFEHOPPING hashtag (...)

Another belated article from 2019?

 

And yes, I like Thai coffee - it's cheaper than the overpriced imported coffee, and it 'wakes me up' all the same...

[arick]

There is some small independent coffee grower in the North with very good coffee. I will go check it out next month. 

[hotchilli]

I'm surprised they haven't caught on to the use of the leaves, which can be picked after harvesting the beans. They are used in the same way as tea and tastes very similar.

[khunjeff]

47 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I'm surprised they haven't caught on to the use of the leaves, which can be picked after harvesting the beans. They are used in the same way as tea and tastes very similar.

I've seen it being sold by a number of the coffee growers in the north - you can find some on Lazada or Shopee - but it isn't very popular. (I haven't tried it, either.)

[thailand49]

AMAZON!

[mfd101]

14 hours ago, tifino said:

I use it on the garden bed to kill pests...

   I'd heard about what it does to ones kitchen sink drain, and that the garden usage was listed as a better alyternative end-use for it

I put the used grains from my espresso machine around the garden shrubs as fertilizer.

[Grusa]

My personal observation is, the Thai do not really like coffee. They like the idea of coffee, and the culture (?) of coffee drinking, the kudos of buying bad coffee from a mega-expensive franchise, or sitting in a "designer" coffee shop.

No Thai I have ever asked if they would like a cup of coffee,  has ever accepted. They would rather drink water.

The disgusting looking concoction they go for, with ice, condensed milk and brown liquid which might have essence of the real thing somewhere in its history, is NOT coffee! And, it takes so long to make the real coffees drinkers could die waiting for it!

I won't even mention Birdy. 

[Thai Dan]

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I've seen it being sold by a number of the coffee growers in the north - you can find some on Lazada or Shopee - but it isn't very popular. (I haven't tried it, either.)

I buy dark roast coffee beans from Red Cliff Coffee, online.  They are located up north in the Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai mountains area.  Great coffee with good prices and service.  Been using them for a number of years now.

[Burma Bill]

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

options for cafe hopping and coffee tasting in the Northern provinces where the coffee is grown

When I was a Tourist Police Volunteer based in Chiang Rai, I used to travel into the hills and mountains at Doi Mae Salong to see and visit the coffee plantations and the terraced tea plantations. The plucked tea leaves could be seen drying on mats alongside the road. (stock photos from the area):-

Coffee Plantation 

 

 

Tea Plantation

 

 

For reference, should you decide to visit Doi Mae Salong, a mountain top town, the drive on a well surfaced road can be scary in places as it follows the contours of the hills - up, down, steep, and bends!!

Edited August 25, 2021 by Burma Bill
additional information

[alien365]

Some of the Thai coffee is good but i still generally prefer beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia etc. I usually buy Thai beans to keep my spending down but they are becoming increasingly expensive 

[RobU]

20 hours ago, tifino said:

I use it on the garden bed to kill pests...

   I'd heard about what it does to ones kitchen sink drain, and that the garden usage was listed as a better alyternative end-use for it

I put the used grounds on indoor plants, it stimulates growth

[Tango777]

We watched a good movie years back about a Farang comes to TH to check out the coffee there. I think this is it:

https://tastythailand.com/bittersweet-wins-award-at-phuket-film-festival/

 

After  watching the trailer, yep that movie is the one. Entertaining!

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Tango777

[arick]

23 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I'm surprised they haven't caught on to the use of the leaves, which can be picked after harvesting the beans. They are used in the same way as tea and tastes very similar.

They have the are on sell on lazada 

[timkeen08]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:15 AM, Thai Dan said:

I buy dark roast coffee beans from Red Cliff Coffee, online.  They are located up north in the Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai mountains area.  Great coffee with good prices and service.  Been using them for a number of years now.

Thanks, I just made an order.  Easy to use website in English.

[timkeen08]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:15 AM, Thai Dan said:

I buy dark roast coffee beans from Red Cliff Coffee, online.  They are located up north in the Chiang Rai/Chiang Mai mountains area.  Great coffee with good prices and service.  Been using them for a number of years now.

Followup:  I got my first order of dark roast beans from Red Cliff Coffee yesterday and I did a course grind.  The 250 g. bag filled my coffee container.  I drank a really good mug of coffee this morning and it had no acidic after taste at all.  Definitely worth a monthly order or the size up on my next order.  Thanks again.

[zzaa09]

On 8/24/2021 at 4:58 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

Another belated article from 2019?

 

And yes, I like Thai coffee - it's cheaper than the overpriced imported coffee, and it 'wakes me up' all the same...

And quickly becoming internationally fashionable -