It started on a daybreak hike along the Thailand-Myanmar border atop the northernmost mountain in Chiang Rai, during a chance encounter with descendants of the Lahu tribe. They were a group of early immigrants to Thailand, and they farmed and harvested opium before transforming into coffee growers decades later. Upon interacting with them and visiting their village and coffee plantations, we sensed that an adventure was about to begin inside the infamous Golden Triangle.

It was early coffee season in 2018 when we met the Lahu, and had the opportunity to taste the sweet and tasty pulp of the coffee cherries which we picked. The following days spent with the Lahu and their farms gave new impetus to us for crafting our best interpretation of Asian specialty coffee.

Our journey deviated during the pandemic, but we persevered, honed our craftsmanship and further developed our products. In 2021, the resilient Lahu once again introduced us to high-altitude cacaos grown on northern mountain farms. After holding our first cacao pod and cracking it open to taste the creamy pulp and refreshing juice inside, we had another epiphany. It was a cathartic moment which pushed on our earth-to-experience journey for creating our version of the finest chocolate in Asia.