Feature Espresso: Padah-Lin (Natural) | Myanmar
Key Origin Info:
Producer: small-holder growers predominantly from the Danu and Pa-O hill-tribes
Processed at: Mandalay’s Group processing facilities
Region: Ywangan Shan State
Altitude: 1300 masl
Variety: Red Catuaí
Process: Hand sorted and dried on raised beds for anywhere between 11 - 32 days depending on the weather conditions
Exporter: Mandalay Group | Importer: Indochina Coffee
Cup profile: Jammy & bright, candied orange & papaya
Length of partnership: 2 years
Freshly picked cherry to be sorted before drying.
About Padah-Lin:
This coffee is named after the limestone caves in Ywangan township that contain prehistoric paintings thought to be 13000 years old.
Padah-lin coffee comes from Mandalay Coffee Group (MCG) and consists of combined daily lots grown by predominantly Danu and some Pa-O hill-tribe smallholder farmers in the remote mountainous area of Ywangan, Southern Shan state, Myanmar.
MCG was formed in 2014 and is owned entirely by citizens of Myanmar. It works with these smallholders, providing support as well as processing the coffee and bringing it to market.
For this season, MCG worked with over 50 smallholder farmers, each of whom cultivates approximately 0.25-3 acres of land, with coffee plants intercropped with a variety of produce such as avocados, jackfruit, papaya, macadamia and djenkol beans. The different types of trees act as a buffer to the spread of leaf rust and provide much needed shade, for both the coffee and the families who welcome the shade around their homes. Most of the farmers do not use fertiliser, but there is a big difference in quality and yield from the wealthier farmers that can use manure from their cattle. (Indochina Coffee)
About Indochina - our importing partner for Myanmar
Established and operated by a wife and husband team Shirani and Chris, Indochina Coffee is a small family business working directly with farmers and producers in Asia to bring their specialty coffee to roasters in the UK and Europe.
With Shirani’s Filipino and Sri Lanka heritage and passion for coffee production in Asia, and Christian’s background in social justice projects as well as warehousing and import, Indochina is set out to champion great coffees from Asian origin whilst ensuring just and sustainable business partnerships with producers as well as roasters.
This is out second year purchasing coffees from Myanmar with the help of Indochina and we are excited to share them with you!
As Shirani & Christian put it:
A BETTER FUTURE FOR FARMING
Indochina Coffee is all about forging long term, mutually respectful relationships with Asian coffee producers and farmers. Much of the wealth derived from coffee does not benefit the indigenous people who actually grow it. We’re committed to working with like-minded partners to help make that change.
We believe that responsibly traded specialty coffee has the potential to genuinely improve the lives of farmers, while providing roasters and coffee drinkers with some of the world’s most interesting coffees.⠀