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Red Maeng Da is revered for its unique blend of naturally occurring alkaloids. In this guide, we explore the strain’s history, notable features and more.
This strain of kratom has a storied past, having been used by the indigenous people of Southeastern Asia for centuries. Traditionally, kratom powders are named after the ‘vein’ of the leaf, and/or region from which it was grown and harvested.
When it comes to Maeng Da, its nomenclature takes an interesting turn that might sound comical or odd to Westerners. It may even subjectively come with negative connotations. But don’t let that turn you off, as the strain itself receives virtually nothing but praise.
In traditional Thai, the words ‘Maeng Da’ is translated to ‘Pimp Grade’ or simply ‘pimp’. Although there is some debate as to the origin of this name, be it as a marketing ploy or simply due to its ancient use as an aphrodisiac and energizing concoction, it's a very popular strain of kratom.
Maeng Da is a popular type of kratom powder. This strain of kratom is made from the cultivated, harvested and dried leaves of the Mitragyna Speciosa tree. The Mitragyna Speciosa tree, an evergreen distantly related to the coffee plant, contains an interesting mix of alkaloids. The trees used to produce Red Maeng Da are grown throughout Southeast Asia, most notably Indonesia. That said, some blends of Red Maeng Da may come from the leaves of trees grown in India, Thailand, Malaysia and other regions.
The Mitragyna Speciosa trees needed to make Red Maeng Da thrive in acidic soil and hot climates with high moisture, a climate common throughout Southeast Asia. There the trees are grown on small farms, often ran traditionally as they were for centuries, with localized wisdom passed down through the generations. As the name implies, red-veined varieties of kratom are harvested when the veins on the underside of the tree’s leaves turn red. This visual indicator tells farmers that the leaves are rich with the desired concentration of alkaloids for the strain.
Typically, the leaves needed for Red Maeng Da are harvested later in the growing season after having a chance to mature post-rainy season. These now mature leaves are then carefully hand-picked for drying. The now hand-picked leaves are taken to a dark, cool drying room. This room is temperature-controlled and kept absent of both artificial as well as natural sunlight. The drying process is carefully monitored to ensure an optimal end product, with Red Maeng Da typically having a longer drying process than other strains. Once dry, the leaves are ground into a fine powder and vacuum-sealed to preserve freshness.
The specific concentration of alkaloids present in Red Maeng Da powder is attributable to a few key factors:
According to several scientific journals, the alkaloid concentration in kratom typically varies from between 0.5%-1.5% of total plant mass, with Mitragynine being the most prevalent alkaloid, followed by 7-hydroxymitragynine.
*Malaysian varieties tend to be lower in mitragynine
Beckett, A. H., Shellard, E. J., Phillipson, J. D., and Lee, C. M. (1966), ‘The Mitragyna species of Asia. Part. VII. Indole alkaloids from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa Korth’, Planta Medica, Volume 14, pp. 277–288.
Arndt, T., Claussen, U., Güssregen, B. et al. (2011), ‘Kratom alkaloids and O-desmethyltramadol in urine of a "Krypton" herbal mixture consumer’, Forensic Science International, Volume 208, pp. 47–52.
NOTE: We provide no recommendations for the use of this product. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA.
Fine quality and polite customer service. 5/5
Tom
Love the product and the monthly coupon codes. Keep it up you guys!
Jacob H
This stuff is the best for helping me sleep. Only strain that compares is Red Bentuangie. 10/10, well, 5/5 :)
Mary
Tom –
Fine quality and polite customer service. 5/5
Jacob H –
Love the product and the monthly coupon codes. Keep it up you guys!
Mary –
This stuff is the best for helping me sleep. Only strain that compares is Red Bentuangie. 10/10, well, 5/5 🙂
Phillip Blackburn –
Thought this strain would help me sleep since the reds are usually sedating. I found that I did not get the sedating effects I expected. but I did enjoy the relief and calmness that I felt. it’s a great product, just do your research to make sure you’re getting the desired effects. I am going to be continuing the use of this strain for the evening time when I don’t desire to be tired.
allen wolfe –
Been using the capsules for awhile now, but due to financial limitations I have had to switch to powder in an effort to save a little money. Noticing that it kicks in alot sooner and seems like a more even dosing style. The capsules kind of hit you in waves, this is more consistent. A bit bitter but i was prepared for that, The gentlemen answering the phone was very knowledgeable and warned of that chance beforehand.
Archie Manuel –
First time trying the red maeng da. Been a long time user of the Green maeng da and thought i would try the red. I really enjoy it at the end of a long day when i need to mellow down, it provides me a decent amount of pain relief but not lethargic. I really like that. It will be a new evening strain for me. Thanks for the great product!
Fly –
Been using the Kratom Connection for the past 8 months and I am impressed how consistent their product is and how fast I receive my packages. i can basically predict when it will be here everytime. I never run out and the quality is always excellent, wont be buying from anyone else!
Janey Sheller –
I paid for some kratom and it arrived less than 48 hours after my purchase. I was amazed how fast they shipped my product. If you want excellent quality in a hurry I highly recommend this company! They really take care of their customers
Bill Masterson –
Extremely grateful for this product and for the awesome customer service. They were able to help me decide what strain would be most beneficial. Would recommend to anyone that needs something to wind down and provide some relief. Thanks guys!
Michelle Primant –
Helped with my pain and didnt put me to sleep but i did feel relaxed. The powder arrived in a sealed bag, and seemed extremely fresh. Very satisfied with my purchase!!
L&K Emory –
Loved working with these guys. They are so accurate, reasonable and quick. We always deal with them. We give them an absolute five stars!
Lois Edging –
This stuff is amazing, provides the effects I was searching for every time!
Scotty –
This strain is a nice fallback for me from the Green Mayla which is my favorite supplement. TKC has been such a helpful group for me.
coffeekingms –
I’ve been taking the kratom I get at my local head shop and while it’s good and cheap, their capsules only hold aprox 500mg of powder. Since maeng da needs around 2 grams before effects are felt, three times a day for 4 capsules is 12, and they only sell a max size of 150 capsules. With TKC I get 100 grams, aprox 100 1g capsules which is nearly twice the head shop’s kratom. I ordered the capsules not the powder, but if you’re new to kratom either one, capsules or powder, work the same.
Tom Eggleston –
Much more expensive than what I’ve been paying but it;s worth it. The quality is top notch! I can’t believe how much more potent the Red Maeng Da from Kratom Connection is. Very fresh, very strong.
Ronda McCormick –
I ordered before and received it sooner than expected
Leland R –
Great company! The quality is amazing and fast shipping! If you’re not sure about this vendor then I can promise you won’t be disappointed! The red MD is superior!
Agnes Anderson –
This is my third time ordering from this site. I’ve tried other places, and sometimes i ran into inconsistences with their product. However, I have never had that problem with this store. The Red Maeg Da is long lasting and relaxing and the staff here is professional, friendly and helpful. This my new go-to store.
Nancy Klump –
It’s great as great gets. Thank you much!
David Box –
Depending on your dosage you can receive a boost throughout the day or you can take even more and end up relaxing/ going to sleep. Seems like a dream this even exists!
jillythursday –
Very fast shipping and the red maeng da is great.
Joy A Heinen –
Works well. Has helped me tremendously!
misskittysage140 –
The Kratom Connection is the 3rd vendor I’ve tried thus far. I took 1 heaping tsp. of the Red Vein Maeng Da with grapefruit juice on a somewhat empty stomach. I feel very mellow and not a lot of energy. It is the later part of the afternoon and I received the product in 2 days in the regular mail and was very anxious to try it. I am impressed with the speed of delivery, price.
Vonnita Collins –
works great
guefuzzy –
Bought some Red Vein Maeng Da back in mid Dec 2017. Its great! I had onky 2 grams and could feel the effects within 15 minutes on an empty stomach!!
It lasted a good 5 hours or so! Thank you!! Namaste
Donna –
Took two grams and liked the Red Maeng a lot. It was a full 45 minutes before it started to work. That’s different from the other strains I’ve tried so far. I’m starting to not be able to differentiate between strains because the effects have been very similar. Definitely an energizer, not frenetic just calm, steady, and happily gettin’ stuff accomplished for the day. Lasted a good four hours.
stan_williams_98 –
Absolutely fantastic. Traveled to Hawaii recently and picked up some Kratom from a local retail outlet and wasn’t even close in quality. Very happy with this purchase. New to Kratom but I do not understand the negative publicity at all. I will keep coming back. Price is great, quality is great, shipping flawless. I’ve looked around but don’t really see any competition. Thank you KC!!!
Omar –
This red maeng da is great! Thank you the Kratom Connection :).
Sally –
I am not usually much for maeng da’s, I feel like they have been over hyped and marketed to death but this strain was long lasting and potent. Great for a night at home with a glass of red wine! I placed my order on a Tuesday and it arrived that Friday so shipping was fairly quick. The price is a little higher than what I am used to paying but still reasonable.
Bill –
I don’t see what all the hype is with red vein maeng da. I actually think the red vein borneo from this site is stronger. This strain was good but not out of this world amazing.
Joyce –
Quick delivery. Decent price. Great quality.
Ty L –
Mmmm.. Yes sir, good stuff.
Jay –
WOW! I highly recommend this strain.
Tati –
A friend of mine told about this site and I picked up the sample pack (red vein maeng da, yellow vietnam, and red horn). Excellent!!! Loved all of the strains and especially the maeng da.
John Smith –
Very legit. I wasn’t sure about these guys as they seem new and couldn’t find a lot about em online but this maeng da was great and I tried a couple others and was pleasantly surprised…
Michael –
Really strong but smooth product and with that price, it’s great value.