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The "Lamphun" golden dried longan is the third geographical indication of Thailand to be protected in Vietnam, after Thai silk products Isan and sweet tamarind Phetchabun.

Lamphun is a famous province of Thailand known as the origin of good quality longan varieties with a large area of longan cultivation. People who know Lamphun province often call “Lamphun is a longan and a longan is Lamphun” or “Thinking of Lamphun is thinking of a longan”.

The origin of the longan tree grown in Lamphun is handed down to the reign of King Rama V when Lamphun and Chiangmai provinces were still ruled by lords. When the lords who ruled the provinces went to see the king, they often had to go by boat down the Ping River. When meeting with King Rama V, Princess Dara Rasmi was given a bunch of longan by the king, believed to be a tribute from China. A boatman named Khuang who followed his wife Dara Rasmi also enjoyed these longans and was impressed with their taste, so he brought the seeds to grow at home in Baan Namjo, Don Kaew commune, Saraphi district, Chiang Mai province. Although Baan Namjo belongs to Chiangmai province, it has an adjacent border with Baan Nong Chang Kuen, Pa Kham commune, Lamphun province. Then KhunKhemKhamkhan, the commune chief of Pa Kham commune, brought seeds from the first longan tree that Mr. Khuang planted to plant in Baar Nong Chang Kuen, Pa Kham commune, and is considered the first longan tree planted in Lamphun province. This longan tree still exists at Baan Nong Chang Kuen and is called "Lamyai Ton Muen", which in Thai means "Ten thousand longan" because of the income it brings to the owner for more than ten thousand years. thousands of Thai baht in just one season. Since then, the cultivation of longan has become popular throughout Lamphun province and is a popular product, widely distributed throughout the country and exported, and has become a product that brings fame and income to many people in Lamphun province.

Based on fertile arable land and year-round warm climate, Lamphun province has the highest production of longan in the country and longan has different characteristics compared to other localities. Favorable natural geographical conditions are the reason why Lamphun province is known as the "Land of the longan". Excessive production causes fresh longan to depreciate, so longan growers must switch to processing fresh longan by using traditional folk wisdom in preserving food by drying to keep the label for a long time. Lamphun golden dried longan has a yellow color, longan flesh is thick and completely dry, non-sticky, sweet, has a fragrant aroma, and stays intact for a long time. The longan fruits are intact and have the same size because they are sorted before packing, specifically: type I from 50-60 fruits/100g; Type II from 60-70 fruits/100g, type III over 71 fruits/100g.

Lamphun golden dried longan has moisture in the range of 12% to 18%, water activity not exceeding 0.6 and total dissolved solids content not less than 80oBx, pH not less than 6.2.

The specific properties and quality of the above-mentioned golden dried longan are obtained in addition to natural geographical conditions, but also due to the experience of production facilities in processing dried longan. Longan to be dried must be fresh, ripe, thick, sweet, fruit that is not broken, rotten, or borer. The fruit should have a diameter of 2.21cm or more, harvested from July to August from the Dor longan variety grown by gardeners that meet the standards of Good Agricultural Practice in Lamphun province. The Dor longan variety produces large fruit, thick flesh, and small seeds. The drying method in Lamphun province has been continuously improved, the method of drying the whole shell with a conventional charcoal stove is replaced by using a nut and shelling tool to take the longan flesh and put it in the oven. The drying oven is gradually improved to better control the temperature during the longan drying process (longan flesh is dried for 10-12 hours at a temperature of 60-70oC).

After washing the longan flesh three times, the longan flesh is placed face down on a tray and does not overlap, and immediately dried to prevent bile juice from sticking to the longan flesh, causing the product to be unsightly after drying. During the drying process, the label trays are repositioned from bottom to top, from top to bottom. The finished product is when the longan flesh does not stick to your hands and the inside is completely dry. Products are classified and packaged in geographical areas.

Geographical area: Lamphun Province, Thailand

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