May 27 2011
The King’s Project: Doi Kham shop
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A few people had recommended the Doi Kham shop to me and it sounded interesting, but could I find it? Could I (deleted)! In my defense when I did eventually stumble upon it, it looked like this:
The Doi Kham 'shop'.
That is, it looked just like a small, unassuming government office not unlike several dozen other small, unassuming government offices in Chiang Mai. I mean does that look like a supermarket/reputed organic produce market to you?
Imagine my surprise when I pushed the doors open: no taking an automated ticket number, no information desk, no whirl of computers and fax machines. I had entered a kind of new age 7-eleven.
Bit like a supermarket really ...
Anyway the ‘shop’ is the retail outlet for produce coming from the Doi Kham Royal Project outside Chiang Mai, which began as a crop substitution initiative by the King himself, to provide alternative sources of income for hill-tribe villages that formerly relied on opium production.
The farmers now concentrate on higher value, often exotic “Western” herbs and vegetables that are expensive and hard to find elsewhere. They’ve also now branched out into other hard-to-find items for the mostly expat and hotel/restaurant market, such as rabbit, trout and farmed boar, so this is a great place to check out if you want unusual fresh food products at very reasonable prices. I have since found this useful site with directions on it (!) — wish we’d found it earlier.
Exotic veggies as well as organically grown garden-variety (ahem) ones...
For those like myself who may be navigationally challenged, to recap the directions: go up Suthep Road past Suan Dok hospital and temple, until you meet the canal road. Cross straight over the traffic lights and turn immediately right into the car park in front of the office building – which is actually the shop. Since you don’t see many government offices with fruit and veg stalls in the car park, it’s a sign that you’ve found the right place. Open daily, 08:00 to 18:00. Enjoy your smoked Doi Kham rabbit with fancy Brussel sprouts!
...not forgetting the fruit!
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Tags: Chiang Mai markets, fruit, groceries, hill-tribes, Suan Dok, vegetables
[...] out, and you'll be served good quality, generally locally-grown products often supplied by the Doi Kham shop. Bread is freshly made daily on the premises and particularly recommended are the pates, also house [...]
i would like to contact Doikham mark in Chiengmai ? can i have number ?I interesting about vegetable
thank you
Daovy
As of December 2011 the shop no longer is housed in the building you show in the photo- they have a lovely new shop adjacent to the old building. It includes lots of fresh produce, canned products, a small area with hand-woven naturally-dyed products and other handmade cloth items, a salad bar and coffee shop. There may be a restaurant too, as there is additional space upstairs and outside with tables. Also, in the parking lot there are two or three vendors with additional fresh, seasonal produce: lately they’ve had oranges, mushrooms, avocados, kumquats etc. All the prices are quite reasonable and the produce of high quality.