In 2018, Pari Sophary Unn launched the Herbal Kulen brand, made from essential oils, herbal teas and a gin that is proving a huge success. Interview with this child of the temples, who looks back at the genesis of the range and its philosophy.
First of all, Pari, can you introduce yourself in a few words?
I'm Cambodian, born in Kampot in the 80s, into a family that was close to nature and then moved to the Angkor temple area. So I grew up in Srah Srang, that great expanse of water facing Banteay Kdei. Since then, I've stayed in Siem Reap, where I've worked in tourism-related activities.
When did the Herbal Kulen adventure begin, and what gave you the idea?
With my husband Guilhem, we started farming in 2014 next to the Beng Mealea temple, on land very close to Phnom Kulen. Coming from Siem Reap, this is the first place to offer a view of a landscape with relief. From here, we can admire a wide variety of panoramas.
As we took possession of the land, we realised that many rare trees had been cut down. Mainly Beng and Ko kor trees, as well as rosewood. We also discovered a kiln on the site, built to convert wood directly into charcoal.
It was a bit frightening to walk through the forest and discover all the remains of trees, some of them freshly cut. Some of them lay surrounded by their shavings as if in the middle of a crime scene.
Between the trees, the villagers planted rice. This makes for a magnificent landscape during the rainy season: the alternating trees and rice paddies offer something unique and inspiring, like a Japanese garden.
As far as the rice was concerned, unfortunately the yield wasn't very good and the erosion of the soil, washed away by the rain, was very significant. As we were new to this activity, we asked around for advice. Some people told us that we should sell the large stones nearby, as well as the sand. Others suggested that we should continue with the charcoal business, as we already had an oven. We were also advised to grow mango, lemon and cashew trees: these were the only trees we could plant on a large scale, as they were readily available from nurseries.
Then we turned to a professional specialising in organic farming, whose response impressed us: ‘Don't destroy your soil and don't grow monocultures: you may make less profit, but your environment and your life will be better off. Be inspired by permaculture and agroecology’. For us, this was the beginning of a new concept of agriculture: making a distinction between the exploitation of resources and the production of resources. The difference is enormous.
What were the first products in your range?
We started with herbal teas, planting all the seeds of a combination in the same space, in what we might call a permaculture experiment. We then select the leaves, herbs and roots that grow together to ensure a balanced blend.
We then moved on to the magic of distillation, firstly of essential oils, and then distilling alcohol to produce our gin.
How would you define your product range?
Natural, original and original. For us, the water we use for the herbal teas, the oil for the essential oils and the alcohol for the gin serve as a vehicle for bringing the botanical qualities they contain to the very depths of our bodies and cells.
In the case of our herbal teas, we consider water to be a blessing, and that's how we understand it in the Kulen mountains. Water is essential to life, transporting mineral salts to our cells. The herbal teas are made from a selection of leaves, spices and roots, all of which are beneficial to the human body. Carefully selected and dried, the ingredients dilute their properties in water and diffuse their benefits through the digestive system.
Can you tell us about your essential oils and how they are produced?
First of all, it's important to know that very few essential oils can be produced in Cambodia. We concentrate on lemongrass and lemon grass. Other plants that produce essential oils are not available in sufficient quantities to be distilled here. To produce 1 kilo of lemon grass essential oil, for example, you need to use 300 kilos of fresh plant matter.
Essential oil is an important part of aromatherapy. It's a vibration. A tone. It's like the note ‘A’ that serves as a reference for tuning instruments. Obtaining an essential oil through a specific distillation process extracts the purity that certain plants contain within themselves. The right drying and distillation processes allow the plant to release these oils.
Once the essential oil has been obtained, it can be diluted, for aromatherapy purposes, at a rate of 3% in a cold-pressed vegetable oil. These oils, known as cary oils, are rich in vitamins and omegas. They nourish the skin while transporting the essential oil into the body.
Is gin your flagship product, your bestseller?
Yes, we're lucky enough to reach a fairly varied clientele, most of whom are Cambodian. Herbal teas and essential oils are very popular, but it's our gin that sells the most. Gin was originally a medicinal liqueur, considered as a brandy or spirit. Juniper berries are essential to its flavour. Consequently, in our gin, juniper is the only source we have to import from cold countries, as it does not grow in our tropical savannah climate.
The rest of the 11 plants, herbs, spices and roots infused and distilled in our gin are grown on our own land, under our strict supervision and as part of organic farming. They reflect the smell and taste of our Cambodian soil and climate. During the distillation phases, the different types of music that whistle through the pipes herald the wonderful discussions that will take place later around the bottle with friends, family and loved ones.
How do you see the future of Herbal Kulen?
We're going to try to open new sales outlets and expand our distribution system. We're also thinking about welcoming customers directly to the farm in the near future. We're getting ready to organise a discovery and tasting tour, and then we want to develop farm holidays with hiking activities in the Kulen mountains.
The farm also receives a great deal of attention, and we are concentrating on closed-circuit production, minimising inputs and reintroducing the animal into the production cycle. We have 11 cows whose excrement we use in a biogas digester. We use the gas obtained for distillation and mix the digestate with the plant waste from the distillation process. We then spread this out over the field. We also have a team of ducks that prevent weeds from competing with our plantations, while providing some of their fertiliser.
We're still in the experimental stage, but it's all extremely interesting and promising.
By Rémi Abad
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