Three Khuns Lot

“Each year we’re expanding production, from 9 metric tons during the 2022 harvest to 14 metric tons last season.”

Three Khuns is a producer consortium within the Indigo Mountain co-op in Hopong, Myanmar, organized by members coming from the Pa-O ethnic group. The three founders – Khun Tun Lin, Khun Kyaw Thein, and Khun Kyaw Min Htike (pictured right) – started organizing the group in November, 2020, before growing the company to include 14 members in 2024. Every year they’ve been expanding production, with 9 metric tons (MT) during the 2022 harvest and 14 MT in 2023. Yet nearby conflict this season limited production to 5 MT.

Curious about the name? In the Shan and Thai languages, ‘Khun’ often precedes names as a sign of respect and is the equivalent of ‘Mr.’ in English.

About the origin:

  • Elevation: 1,158 - 1,737masl (3,800 - 5,699 ft)

  • Ethnic group: Pa-O

  • Production members: 14

  • Variety: Catuai, Caturra

  • Location: 20.8024441, 97.2320281

  • 2024 availability: SOLD OUT 960kg (16 bags)

Regional name & history

As the capital of the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone, Hopong is a vitally important cultural hub for Buddhism and the Pa-O people. This Zone includes three townships - Hopong, Hsi Hseng & Pinlaung - and today all of them export world-renowned specialty coffee produced by Pa-O communities.

The name Hopong comes from the Shan language - with Pong meaning “valley” and Ho translating to “upper part of the ravine.” Sitting at 1,079masl (3,541ft), this valley town in the upper part of the ravine is surrounded by towering mountains that are home to ancient pagodas, storied caves, and pristine subtropical and temperate forests.

 

The people

As the tale goes, there was once a Weiza, or supernatual 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.

Stand-out flavor notes:

Star fruit, golden raisin, walnut, and biscuit

The founders

  • Khun Kyaw Min Htike

    Khun Kyaw Min Htike is a force in the Myanmar specialty coffee sector — as both the QC and Production Supervisor for Indigo Mountain coop and a recent founder of Three Khuns.

    He’s a licensed Q Arabica Grader and Q Processing Professional with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and carries a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Plant Pathology and Phytopathology from Yezin Agricultural University in Myanmar. His professional coffee journey started with the UNODC and USAID-Winrock programs, and he now continues on his own path, making sure to deliver only the highest-quality beans to buyers around the world.

  • Khun Tun Lin

    With a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Plant Pathology from central Myanmar’s Yezin Agricultural University, Khun Tun Lin is a seasoned expert. He brings over a decade of experience from work as an Agronomist for UNODC to further leadership roles within ADRA Myanmar, Winrock, USAID, and UNIDO. He’s also a licensed Q Processing Professional with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

    Currently based in Taunggyi, he brings his invaluable skill set to Three Khuns for managing the group’s specialty coffee farms and processing.

  • Khun Kyaw Thein

    Khun Kyaw Thein is a trained mechanical engineer who spent the majority of the past decade sharpening his skills and building a strong network internationally. With an interest to one day work on a passion project and bring his talents back home, he made sure to keep a close eye on the best time.

    In 2019, the opportunity finally presented itself. Khun Kyaw Thein returned to Myanmar that year to start building Three Khuns and, in 2020, joined the first harvest. He brings invaluable experience and professionalism to the team as their needs evolve with expanding equipment and processing infrastructure. He’s the “nuts and bolts” of the organization and, no matter the barrier, makes sure the technical aspects of all in-house equipment continue to run smoothly.

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