the Karen Tribe & the Region

High in the emerald highlands of northern Thailand, where clouds move low over the jungle canopy and mornings begin with the sound of insects waking the forest, grows a pepper with a long history. This is the home of the Karen tribe, a community that has lived in harmony with the mountains for generations. The forest here feels purposeful. Rain arrives in steady cycles, the soil is rich with minerals washed down from the surrounding ridges, and the shifting light creates a calm environment that shapes everything grown in it.

The climate plays a major role in the flavor of the pepper. Warm days build up the natural oils inside each pod, while cool nights lock those oils in place and help the aromas develop more slowly. The consistent humidity keeps the pepper skins flexible, which allows the heat to develop in layers rather than in one sharp burst. Even the altitude influences the plant, giving it a cleaner citrus note and a deeper, more controlled rise of heat.

In this landscape grows the pepper the Karen call Girian. It is not farmed on large fields or in straight rows. It appears wherever the mountain allows it, scattered through bamboo forests and terraced slopes. The Karen do not cultivate it in a commercial way. They continue the tradition of passing seeds from one generation to the next, caring for the plants by memory and experience rather than written technique.

When the rainy season ends and the hills begin to show pockets of red, the tribe gathers for the harvest. They wait for the exact moment when the peppers reach their peak color. Elders give small blessings for a good season and children carry baskets made from local materials. The peppers are then dried on palm and bamboo mats in open air, where the combination of sun, wind, and natural mountain aromas begins to shape the final taste.

Inside each pod is a balanced mix of heat, brightness, and earthiness. The taste begins with a light citrus note, followed by a steady rise of heat that builds rather than shocks. A faint smoky tone remains after the spice quiets down. It is complex but controlled, which is why chefs often describe it as the hidden flame of the mountain.

For the Karen tribe, Girian Pepper is more than an ingredient. It is part of their daily life and culture. It is used in soups for health, in rituals for protection, and in food to maintain strength during long seasons. What others might view as exotic, the Karen simply see as tradition.

Product

From the moment the pepper is picked, every step honors the Karen tribe’s ancestral method. There are no machines. No factories. No chemicals. Only hands, patience, and trust in nature’s timing.

After harvesting, the peppers are dried naturally on bamboo mats. The sun does its work slowly, drawing out the moisture while concentrating the oil that holds the pepper’s signature rise of heat. The wind carries mountain aromas across the mats, giving the pods a faint, smoky whisper that no artificial process could ever create.

Once dried, the pods are taken to small stone grinding areas where they are crushed into a fine, vibrant powder. Nothing more is added. No salt. No fillers. No preservatives. This is pure Girian Pepper, one hundred percent organic, shaped only by the land and the tribe that protects it.

The result is a powder that awakens rather than overwhelms. A climbing heat. A citrusy spark. A grounded earthiness born of forest soil and monsoon rain. A flavor that refuses to be tamed or standardized. Every batch reflects the mood of the season. Wetter years bring deeper notes. Drier years give sharper fire.

Journey

When the yearly harvest is ready, the founder of DragonWalk travels to the Karen highlands to collect it. The pepper is handed over in cloth sacks, still carrying the warmth of the sun and the scent of the mountain. From there, the journey begins.

The pepper flies from Thailand to Mykonos, not as cargo but as a companion. After the bottling celebration on the island, the journey continues. The bottles travel by boat from Mykonos to Portugal and are stored in an old pirate warehouse in the neighbourhood of Barreiro. Stone walls, wooden beams, and the scent of the river protect the pepper as it waits to continue its walk into the world.

This movement across forests, seas, and old trade routes is not just transport. It is the philosophy of DragonWalk. Every step carries a lesson. Patience. Respect. Community. Intention. A reminder that flavor is more than taste. It is story.

Bottling tradition

Once the pepper arrives in Mykonos, its transformation from ground spice to bottled treasure becomes a celebration. Bottling happens on a boat when the sea is calm or in a house overlooking the water when the winds rise. Either way, the moment is treated with care.

Dragon members gather to taste the new harvest, to celebrate the good fortune Girian Pepper is known for, and to take part in the ritual of filling each bottle by hand. Music plays. Stories are exchanged. Every bottle is sealed with intention and shared with gratitude. The first Dragon members receive their yearly supply on this day, reflecting the tribe’s own tradition of gifting pepper to those who will carry its spirit forward.