Origin Spotlight : Golden Triangle

O R I G I N S P O T L I G H T

MYANMAR

MEKONG RIVER

THAILAND LAOS

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

The Golden Triangle refers to the region where the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand intersect at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers. Numerous ethnic minority populations reside in this remote, subtropical mountain landscape. They live in one of the ancient cradles of tea history. Some, like the ancient Pu (濮) who live in both Yunnan and Myanmar, were among the original cultivators of tea, creating arbor forests of tea trees that survived hundreds or thousands of years until today. Unfortunately, in recent centuries the Golden Triangle became more closely associated with the cultivation of opium poppies and the illicit drug trade. We are working to change that.

Rishi has been active in Thailand and Laos since the mid2000’s. Our experience has included helping oolong producers in Thailand apply for and receive organic certification, as well as working with NGO’s to conduct a market viability study of the ancient tea regions of Laos. We have recently begun working in Myanmar as well, extending our work to all three sides of the Triangle.

Our approach to this region is driven by a philosophy of appreciation for the incredible tea tree resources, in terms of heirloom genetics and elder tea forests, as well as a desire to introduce new styles of tea production that will help the local people capture more value for their teas in the global market. Our hope and experience has been that this effort has increased the local people’s income potential and has created an alternative to participation in risky drug crops.

One particular example is in the beautiful region of Doi Chiang Dao in northern Thailand. We have traveled to this region extensively over the past decade to help make loose leaf black teas for traditional English Breakfast and Earl Grey blends and broken black teas for Chai. The region is home to wild tea forests that have naturally hybridized with Assam variety tea plants brought there from India and Kenya decades ago. These amazing tea plant genetics produce a rich red cup with a full, robust body when processed with skill and technique. Sadly, most of those gardens were abandoned some 30 or 40 years ago and since then the local people have relied on making a rustic type of pickled tea to sell through brokers throughout Southeast Asia. That work is arduous, and the market is limited.

Complicating the situation, pickled tea requires a different plucking standard compared to black tea. Through direct trade and interaction with village leaders we provided education in tea plucking standards and promoted specialized tea processing techniques, such as controlled withering and better management of oven temperatures, to enhance the quality of black tea made there. This allowed us to expand purchases and increase the local people’s income potential by accessing the more lucrative organic black tea market.

Another example of our work in the Golden Triangle is in our effort to promote tea and rarefied botanical farming in the Shan State of Myanmar, a region that is more famous for warlord gangsterism and ethnic strife. Our founder, Joshua, applied for and received special visas granting sojourns to this otherwise inaccessible land. The tea gardens are extraordinarily beautiful here, growing from ancient heirloom seeds and planted in low population density like a natural arbor.

What the Burmese people have lacked is a stable market of buyers they can count on year after year. Through several years of repeat business, we have developed a foundation of trust and today Rishi is the single largest importer of Myanmar tea in North America. In addition to tea, we are sourcing indigenous roots of distinction including blue, purple, red, yellow, green and white varieties of turmeric and unique ginger varieties with intense heat, high lemony aromatics and strong medicinal value.

The fertile mountains of the Golden Triangle are excellent for growing tea. By sharing our global experience and advising our partners to implement some modest new technologies, we are seeing truly amazing tea quality improvements coming out of this region.