Local Wisdom of Miang Lifestyle and Community for Sustainable Development in Northern Thailand

Dujrudee Chinwong,Panchana Charaj,Chalermpong Saenjum,Surarong Chinwong,Piyatida Panitsupakamol,Tamonwan Chankaew

doi:10.3390/su13137381

Abstract

Miang or fermented tea leaf has been a part of the Mae Kampong community, one of northern Thailand’s famous tourist attractions, for a long time. Although the demand and popularity of Miang are decreasing, Miang is still important to the community lifestyle in various ways. Thus, this study aimed to investigate Miang consumption behavior, lifestyle, and wisdom in the Mae Kampong community, which would lead to sustainable development. The study involved a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative study. The research was done in Mae Kampong Village, Mae On District, Chiang Mai, Thailand. A total of 335 participants participated; 60.9% were female with an average age of 61.3 ± 12.2 years old. In all, 93.7% of the participants consumed Miang daily, mostly as a snack (86.5%). Consuming Miang as a staple food and beverage were less common. Furthermore, only 2.5% of the participants considered Miang as medicine. Miang is also the primary source of income and a tourist attraction. Additionally, Miang is an item in religious and local rituals. The Miang culture and the local lifestyle are bonded deeply as a sustainable economy, society, and environment. The wisdom in Miang culture encourages a better quality of life for the Mae Kampong community.

Highlights

Miang or fermented tea is made from leaves of Assam tea or Camellia sinensis var.assamica
This study aimed to investigate Miang consumption behavior, lifestyle, and wisdom of the Mae Kampong community, which leads to sustainable development
The more we investigated Mae Kampong villagers’ lives, we found that Miang was more than a diet; it had local wisdom and stories behind it

Summary

Introduction

Miang or fermented tea is made from leaves of Assam tea or Camellia sinensis var. Cha Miang is the fresh Assam tea that is naturally grown in the mountain terrain from 450 to 1500 m above sea level [1]. The cultivation of Cha Miang dates back to the. 13th century in the Lanna Kingdom, including Thailand, Myanmar, the Lao People’s. Democratic Republic, and the People’s Republic of China. The Lanna civilization is one part of Thailand that covered most of northern Thailand. Cha Miang requires a specific process of cultivation and environment. The high mountain terrain in northern Thailand is the perfect environment for Cha Miang cultivation. Most of the northern part of Thailand, such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, Phrae, Mae Hong Son, and Phayao, grow

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