COMPLEX FLAVOURS OF AN INNOVATIVE TRADITION

Watchara Yawirach is 34 years old and is the leader of a coffee cooperative in Mae Chedi district of Chiang Rai with 19 members. Mae Chedi is an area that is traditionally known for tea plantations. Tea is the main cash crop in the area. But coffee has always been part of farmers' livelihood, albeit to a lesser degree than tea. Coffee was introduced into the area in 1977 when the crop was encouraged to be cultivated to replace opium production in Thailand. With the recent rise in specialty coffee demands, the young farmers in the area are starting to take coffee more seriously. This is the second year of their special coffee production and is the first year that the coffee is getting exported. This group of stella coffee farmers borrows tea fermentation methods and applies them to coffee. Watchara led them to experiment with many other techniques as well. This coffee represents one of the best fully washed coffees that has come out of Thailand this season.

CULTIVARs:

Catimor variant backcrossed with SL28, known in the area as Chiang Mai.

ALTITUDE:

1,100 meters above sea level

PROCESSINg:

Anaerobic White Honey: coffee fruits are fermented for five days in plastic bags, pulped, further fermented, and dried on raised beds before going through the destoner, huller, size grader, density table —multiple times— before the hand sorting process begins.