Done Li Tan Village

As one of the newest members of Indigo Mountain co-op, the Done Li Tan community is tucked away among the steep slopes of the Indigo Mountain range—the same mountains from which the co-op derives its name. Despite its recent entrance to specialty coffee, it’s a village with a lot of history, with “Done Li Tan” translating to “large old village” and sitting not too far from a number of other long-established Pa-O villages. This includes the Bant Sawk community, which sits opposite the mountain peak west of Done Li Tan and was the village that kicked off Indigo Mountain co-op in 2018. Keen to create an enduring model for local communities transitioning from poppy farming to specialty coffee, Done Li Tan is now a growing part of this transformational community in the region.

About the origin:

  • Elevation: 1,676masl (5,500 ft)

  • People: Pa-O

  • Head farmer: Khun Sein Tun

  • Producer families: 75

  • Location: 20.695994, 97.377651

About the taste:

  • Varieties: Catuai

  • Processing: Dry Natural

  • Average drying: 18-22 days

  • Stand-out flavor notes: White tea, lemongrass, and caramel

  • 2024 availability: SOLD OUT 120kg (2 bags)

 

The people

As the tale goes, there was once a Weiza, or supernatural being, and a Dragon Mother who laid three eggs — one of which gave birth to the ethnic Pa-O people.

Today, the Pa-O make up the second largest ethnic group in Shan State. Their men and women are famous for their eye-catching turbans, which bring to life their fabled origin story. Pa-O women wear colorful headdresses to resemble the form of their Dragon Mother while Pa-O men drape theirs to the side to mimic their Weiza Father, whom many believe their people are all descendants of to this day.  

Their community, however, is not originally from this mountainous region of Myanmar. They fled here nearly one thousand years ago after their coastal homeland, in modern day Mon State, was conquered by the Burmese Kingdom. Three hundred miles away in the Shan Hills, the Pa-O started a new life, bringing Buddhism and their strong traditions with them.

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