Roasted on-demand to a light-medium roast. As an American roast, these Thai beans roast up to be very smooth and slightly sweeter than the light roast. Great for drinking black! This coffee has wonderful peanut butter, creamy, sweet notes to it.
How is it grown?
This coffee comes to us from a missionary friend named Charlie who works in a remote village named Tung Prapawn in Thailand. He wrote the following about how they grow the coffee;
Because the climate and soil conditions are so ideal, there is no need for the farmers to use harsh chemicals to protect and nurture the coffee trees. Over the years we have trained the families to use organic farming methods that fit well with the peaceful and harmonious Thai culture. We also compensate farmers ABOVE Fair Trade coffee prices. This enables families to prosper and raise their families with dignity.
Why is it special?
Why is our Thai coffee special and a bit more expensive? First, because of limited production, it's a much more rare coffee with limited quantities available. This is not a bean you're going to see everywhere. Starbucks isn't going to be carrying it. In fact, it's very likely that your favorite micro-roaster isn't even carrying it. It's difficult to find on the coffee exchanges because most of the Thai yearly crop production is kept in the country for their use because of their high import tariffs on coffee. It's through our relationship with a fellow missionary that we are even able to secure our supply. Thailand is quickly becoming known as a world-class producer of high-quality coffees with excellent flavors. It's a pleasure to offer you a coffee that reflects our motto "World-class products for world-class survivors." This fantastic article explains the current coffee culture in Thailand. 5 Reasons Thai Specialty Coffee Is Blooming – And 4 Challenges It Faces
What's the story of the village and how has growing coffee affected them?
In a nutshell, Tung Prapawn was the poorest village in Northern Thailand; very remote and isolated. News crews used to come in to film these poor, remote villagers. The name of the village used to be Tung Pii, which means Field of Evil Spirits. After Charlie began working with the village, great development came. They suggested to the local county officials that the name be changed to Tung Prapawn, which means Field of Blessings. The county took the name to the Provincial level and they approved the name change. The provincial-level took it to the National level and now the village is officially called Tung Prapawn. A couple years ago they brought a new water system to the village as clean sources of water had dried up.
By growing and processing coffee the villagers have been able to triple their income which is quite significant when you consider they used to live on $200/year.
Not only does your purchase of this coffee bless our girls but it also helps the villagers of Tung Prapawn as well as orphanes and at risk youth.