Of all the types of kratom currently available, probably none is more highly sought after than Maeng Da Kratom. However, one thing we’ve seen over and over in our years in the kratom business is that customers, even other vendors, can be confused about what the Maeng Da label actually means! We’ve seen Maeng Da kratom advertised as both a strain and a grade of kratom, but these are very different things. To make an analogy using one of our other favorite herbs, kava, there are both different strains or varieties of kava–Mahakea, Isa, Melo Melo, etc.—and different grades of kava. For instance, Waka kava is harvested only from the young lateral roots and is considered the finest grade of kava; however, any strain of kava can be harvested to make a Waka-grade kava.
It’s exactly the same with Maeng Da kratom: this label simply means that the product was made from kratom leaves that have been harvested at the peak of richness, in the fall or early winter when the leaves contain the highest concentration of alkaloids. Maeng Da Kratom is not a distinct strain of kratom any more than Waka kava is a distinct strain of kava. For many kratom connoisseurs, what sets Maeng Da kratom apart from other grades is its combination of both energizing and relaxing properties in one leaf; it’s great as a daytime incense for when you want to get focused, yet it also has a smooth, relaxing quality that can be great to unwind with. The name “Maeng Da” comes from a Thai slang term that means, loosely, “pimp’s kratom”—we’ll leave it to your imagination how this translates to quality!
Perhaps because it’s so highly sought after, various rumors have sprung up around Maeng Da kratom, including the wild theory that it’s a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) created from a gene splice of different kratom strains. This is probably how the whole confusion with Maeng Da—is it a distinct strain or a grade of kratom?—got started in the first place: according to the Kratom Bible, a few years back an Indonesian kratom farm started experimentally grafting cuttings of various kratom strains to create an ultra-alkaloid-rich plant. However, according to the story, this original Maeng Da strain was not a GMO: instead, the farm was using much older grafting techniques that have been employed in horticulture to breed new varieties of many useful plants. The various types of apples available in your supermarket are mostly products of grafting.
Grafting takes advantage of a plant cell’s totipotency, a fancy term meaning that adult plant cells can be induced to diversify into any type of cell with the right chemical or physical stimulation (such as pruning, which induces the cut stem to proliferate cells that eventually produce new leaves). Supposedly, this Indonesian farm successfully grafted a cutting from one strain of kratom onto another strain and created a whole new variety of kratom, which they named Maeng Da. However, this original strain has now been lost. These days, Maeng Da kratom simply refers to any high-quality strain of kratom harvested at peak richness.
Working With Maeng Da:
We recommend Maeng Da incense only to those already experienced with kratom. As a rule, Maeng Da kratom is more alkaloid rich than other grades of kratom, so it often requires extra care when working with it. Here are some general pointers: when working with Maeng Da, estimate beforehand the smallest effective amount, and start with that first. Because Maeng Da is especially rich, as little as 1-2 g of unenhanced leaf is sufficient for most users. With enhanced Maeng Da extracts, this amount should be adjusted downward according to the strength of the extract. In general, we think it’s better to start with a conservative amount of any kratom strain the first time you use it, and titrate the amount upward if necessary.
Of course, the richness of Maeng Da kratom is another plus: it makes for a very economical grade of kratom, because you can use much less to achieve the same results. Shaman’s Garden sells this uniquely rich variety of kratom incense in multiple forms, including the original Maeng Da enhanced extract and our new “Gold” Maeng Da kratom incense, which has an almost silky feel and an extraordinarily smooth burn. Namaste!
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