Royal Project Gastronomy Festival returns
Siam Paragon celebrates the Royal Projects with a festival spotlighting northern Thailand’s organic farms
Paying tribute to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Royal Project Gastronomy Festival has returned to Siam Paragon and continues until March 8, showcasing a wide selection of top-quality culinary products like mixed salad vegetables, cape gooseberries and French bresse chicken, rich in vitamin C, calcium, protein and antioxidants.
Designed under the Colors of Health theme, this year more than 10 popular restaurants in Siam Paragon have joined the festival by creating 30 special dishes using fresh produce from the Royal Project products. Highlights include chicken roll with winter salad and royal pumpkin custard by Suki Masa and Harrods Tea Room.
To trace the footsteps of King Bhumibol, shoppers can explore the mountainous lands in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai that have become the major source of organic food in Thailand.
CHIANG MAI
Far away from the chaos of downtown, the small town of Chiang Dao is a testament to sustainable forest rehabilitation. In 1979, the Royal Project Foundation and the Royal Forest Department allocated degraded forest lands to Hmong migrants before the Huay Luek Royal Project Development Center was set up one year later to educate them about highland agriculture.
The centre occupies nearly 10,000 rai and more than 2,600 Karen, Hmong, Lahu and lowland villagers have been living together there. Today, it is verdant with lush plantations of Chinese cabbage, lettuce, pumpkin, Chinese chives, avocados, mangoes, passion fruit, cockscomb and chrysanthemum making it a popular learning centre for students and tourists interested in the theory of Three Forests, Four Benefits.
Standing at 500-900m above sea level, one of the best-selling organic produce is yellow-gold cape gooseberry, rich in antioxidants, and vitamins C and A. Originating in South America, the exotic berries can share space with other plants like cherry tomatoes and grow well in subtropical regions.
“We have 2 rai plantations of cape gooseberries run by 40 farmers. Our centre can produce around 200kg of exotic cape gooseberries a week. The top-grade berries are priced at 80 baht per kilogramme,” said Surasak Chanchamni, agricultural officer at the Huay Luek Royal Project Development Center.
“It takes three months to grow and winter months are perfect to pick fruits. They’re sweet and rich in vitamins so they are used to make cakes and fresh juice.”
Going up to the small town of Fang, it’s home to the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang with plenty of pilot plantations. This mountainous land was once blanketed with opium poppy fields that stretched as far as the eye can see.
In 1969, King Bhumibol brought big change to this region by giving the fund 1,500 baht to construct the first agricultural research site, aiming to help villagers earn income from growing temperate fruits, flowers and vegetables.
Spread over more than 20,000 rai of land, the site offers an interesting eco-agricultural tour, where visitors can board a tram to explore the beautiful plum orchard, vegetable garden, bonsai garden and bamboo forest. The colourful flower garden is in full bloom, with 12 species of edible blossoms like marigold, mallow, dandelion, crocus, lavender, oxalis, begonia and fuchsia often used in culinary scenes.
“It’s about a culinary trend. Flowers become popular ingredients in making desserts or decorating a dish. In recent years, we have provided many kinds of edible flowers like pansies, viola, foxglove and begonia for restaurants and bakeries. They are colourful and rich in antioxidants,” said Angkana Artrod, flower specialist at the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang.
“Here, the average temperature is about 18C, good for pansies. They take three to five months to grow and can bloom throughout the year.”
Surrounded by the Japanese sakura forest, some space was turned into an experimental linen plantation. Beginning in 1983, the Royal Project has encouraged villagers on Doi Inthanon and in the Kae Noi hamlet to cultivate linen that can produce 80 to 100kg per rai.
“Linen is perfect for dry land. It doesn’t need much water but can grow fast. It takes 120 to 150 days, while farmers can take benefits from all parts of linen. For example, linseed can be used to produce mulberry paper and printing ink for banknotes, while stems can be loomed to make cloth. Linseed oil is rich in omega-3 and can help lose weight,” agricultural research officer Chartchai Saosue said.
“Many years ago, we stopped promoting linen cultivation due to climate change. Now, our project is back on track and we already have four farmer members planting linen. In extension, we plan to produce 4-6 tonnes a year.”
The station has conducted research on blueberries in three species of biloxi, misty and sharpblue from Australia. They have been developed to grow well on flatland and at temperatures lower than 35C.
“Blueberries grow very well in acid soil. We’re developing easier techniques to help farmer members save time and money. Now, we cultivate 500 blueberries on a pilot plantation that allows farmer members to observe the process. Each can live for 15 to 20 years,” said agricultural research officer Natthawee Mabangkhru.
“A blueberry tree can produce a kilogramme of fruits whose price is 1,200 baht. March and April are the best period to reap their fruits.”
Sitting at 1,500m above sea level, the station also boasts the terraced Chinese Tea Plantation 2000, with other 70 rai plots operated by 51 Dara-ang farmer members. This is one of the major sites to produce organic green tea, oolong tea, oolong tea No.12 and red tea.
“Angkhang tea tastes like seaweed because it’s planted in the open air. We can produce 61,000 to 63,000kg of teas and generate revenue up to 4.2 million baht a year. We can reap tea leaves four times per year,” said agricultural research officer Rattawit Aiyarawong.
At the Noh Lae village, veteran farmer Kamonsit Teerachuleekul welcomes tourists to his 1.5 rai plantation of topgrade strawberry 80. He shares some tips on how to maintain and enhance soil for cultivation.
“After picking strawberries, soil will be left to dry in the sun and the land will be turned into a sunhemp field in May. Sunhemp and grass will be cut for fertiliser before strawberry seeds will be sowed in August. I have lifted my plantation higher from the ground by 35cm to protect strawberries from the rain and litter,” Kamonsit said.
“Some 90% of the first harvest between October and November we get big, sweet strawberries. They will be reserved for the Royal Project. I produce 1.8 to 1.9 tonnes a year.”
In the remote city of Mae Ai, a mobile agricultural station was upgraded to the Mok Cham Royal Project Development Center in 1983. Focusing on sustainable living, villagers transformed parts of their property into maple forest and learned how to cultivate several kinds of Japanese pumpkins after the rice harvest.
“Based on the theory of three forests, four benefits, we teach people to grow alternative crops such as Japanese sweet potatoes, eggplants, purple sweetcorn, papayas and mushrooms throughout the year. We have 400 rai of plantations operated by 80 farmer members that can produce 300 tonnes of Japanese pumpkins this year. We also supply many kinds of organic vegetables for MK and Lotus,” said Pichit Wanchai, chief of the Mok Cham Royal Project Development Center.
Worachit Damrongwarakoon is among the successful farmers to enhance his quality of life by planting Japanese pumpkins over the past 19 years.
“I have a 10 rai plantation of Japanese pumpkins, mini pumpkins and orange Japanese pumpkins. I can build a house and buy a car thanks to pumpkins. I generate income up to 500,000 baht a year. It takes only three months to grow. I will select only grade A pumpkins and sell them to the Royal Project, while the rest might be sold at the local markets or turned into compost,” Worachit said.
“I focus on big Japanese pumpkins because they have a high price — 18 baht per kilogramme. This year, I’ve planted 1,200 pumpkin trees and can produce 200,000kg. The easy tip is that we need to cultivate our crops with a heart. We have to observe when the crops want water or fertiliser.”
CHIANG RAI
Standing on the border between Thailand and Laos, the Pha Tang Royal Project Development Center in Wiang Kaen district specialises in mixed salad vegetables like red oak leaf lettuce, lettuce butterhead, baby cos, baby pak choi, spinach and celery.
“We started from teaching villagers to make organic fertiliser and grow vetiver grass to protect soil from erosion. Now, we focus on planting mixed salad greens in the greenhouses like pointed cabbage because it takes a short time. Our centre is famous for Fuyu persimmons with sweet flavour and good texture,” said Watchara Phunthong, chief of the Pha Tang Royal Project Development Center.
Spread over almost 100 rai of land, it is home to 2,000 families with 160 farmers enrolled in the Royal Project. The centre is conducting research on wheat berry and linen. Other organic produce here includes avocado, peach, plum, black seedless grape, strawberry and cape gooseberry.
Situated 18km from Doi Pha Tang, the Huay Lang Royal Project Development Center doesn’t only provide local villagers the sustainable horticultural training but also help them maintain their unique Tai Lue traditions.
A northern-style wood house was built in the heart of the village to be the cultural centre, where seniors gather to demonstrate to visitors how to weave colourful silk textiles with traditional techniques.
“We formed a weaving club many years ago and in 2016 the 35th Mobile Development Unit gave funds of 600,000 baht to set up a textile workshop. Now, we have 16 senior members and welcome young generations to learn how to weave our original patterns like dok
jok, khor krue and dok kab,” said club founder Sutthima Matphuthorn.
They spend two or three months weaving a 145cm bolt of silk with not fewer than 10 striking motifs featuring local flowers and plants. Vibrant and soft, silks are organically dyed with extracts of plants — Bengal almond and mango create green and Burma padauk red. The club expanded a product line to include ready-to-wear Tai Lue costumes, shoulder bags, hip wrappers and shawls.
Other retired farmers also produce a collection of wicker baskets, chairs and khan tok trays in a mixture of rattan and plastic for the Royal Project. The Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education helps them develop modern designs and colour matching.