NAKHON SAWAN – Harvesting of lotus leaves from Bueng Boraphet for export has proved to be a sustainable source of income for generations of a local family in this central province.
Pol Lt Manop Chirapruek, a deputy inspector for immigration at Bangkok airport, is in the third generation of a family business that's been operating for about a century.
As a member of a new generation, he has found a way to expand his market - by exporting to restaurants in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, shipping up to three to four tonnes a month.
Lotus leaves collected from the country’s largest fresh-water lake fetch good prices for their organic quality, so local people can make around 1,000 baht per day by spending three or four hours collecting the leaves.
The villagers choose only semi-mature or mature leaves, which are then sorted for sale as fresh or dried leaves. The fresh leaves are packed in layers - with ground ice to keep them fresh - and then rushed to export companies. A one-day drying period is needed before the dried leaves can be exported.
Pol Lt Manop said both fresh and dried leaves can be used to wrap food, but the dried leaves give off a stronger aroma. They are most commonly used to wrap rice dishes - and right now, they're wrapping them all over Asia, transforming a local delicacy into an international phenomenon.
A man packs fresh lotus leaves for delivery to an export company in Nakhon Sawan.