Protected local food
Doi Chaang Coffee
ドイチャンコーヒー
Arabica coffee grown at 1,000 to 1,700 metres around Doi Chaang village in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It is naturally low in caffeine with a sweet aroma, and it is registered in Japan's GI system.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 20 July 2023
- Region
- Official name in Japanese
- ドイチャンコーヒー
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 海抜1000メートルから1700メートルに位置する、タイ王国チェンライ県メースアイ郡ワーウィー地区、ドイチャン村及びバーンマイパタナ村
Low caffeine, sweet aroma
Doi Chaang coffee has less caffeine than ordinary coffee of the same kind, under 1.1% in the green beans, and a sweet aroma. It grows at 1,000 to 1,700 metres around Doi Chaang and Ban Mai Pattana villages in Mae Suai district, Chiang Rai, where the altitude, cool water and well-drained soil suit arabica.
A hill-tribe project
Coffee here began with a project started in 1969 by King Rama IX to improve the lives of hill-tribe communities. Today a producers' group manages everything from growing to roasting and uses its own fermentation method suited to the local water and soil.
Protected in Japan
Japan lists Doi Chaang coffee in its GI register, so the name is protected there just like a Japanese food.
Good to know
- Doi Chaang is in the hills of Mae Suai district, a scenic mountain drive southwest of Chiang Rai city.
- Compare with Doi Tung Coffee, another Chiang Rai coffee in Japan's GI register.
Questions travellers ask
What does Japan's GI registration mean?
Only products from the registered area, made the registered way, may use the name in Japan. Foreign GIs are protected there in the same way as Japanese ones.
Is it decaf?
No. It is naturally lower in caffeine than typical arabica, but it is not decaffeinated.
Where it comes from
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.