Introduced from China along mountain trade routes into Shan State, tea has since flourished in the Burmese highlands and in the hearts of its people. However, in Myanmar, tea isn’t just a drink – it’s something you eat. Unique among global tea traditions, Myanmar has revered the leaf as both a beverage and a bite for over a thousand years.
Myanmar is one of the only countries where tea leaves are fermented and eaten. The result is lahpet – pickled tea leaves brimming with tangy, umami richness. While much of the world sips its tea, Myanmar’s lahpet is savoured in salads, snacks, and even ceremonies.
There are three main types of Burmese tea: green, black and lahpet. Green tea is typically served hot and free in teashops, a symbol of hospitality to welcome you in. Black tea is rich and malty, forming the base of lahpet yay, the sweet Burmese milk tea. And then there are pickled tea leaves – fermented, seasoned and eaten.
Tea is mainly grown in the cool highlands of Shan, Kayin and Kachin states, as well as the Sagaing region. While the growing season stretches from April to November, the best leaves are hand-plucked during Shwe Pyi, Myanmar’s short ‘golden season’ in late March and mid-April. These leaves are sun-dried, boiled or steamed, fermented underground, washed, and seasoned – yielding earthy, sour, and intensely savoury lahpet.
In its most popular form – lahpet thohk – lahpet are mixed with double-fried broad beans, roasted peanuts, crisp fried garlic and toasted sesame seeds. A generous squeeze of lime, a scatter of chilli, a drizzle of peanut oil – each bite is at once silky, crunchy, spicy and tangy. Traditionally served at weddings, religious ceremonies and sprawling family feasts, lahpet has long been a symbol of unity and peace. In teashops, it’s shared alongside steaming cups of green tea – a simple but deeply meaningful act of connection.
At Lahpet restaurants in London, where I cook, we use edible tea in both traditional and reimagined dishes. As a Burmese chef, I’m proud to present these flavours to a new and uninitiated audience, using ingredients sourced directly from Myanmar.
As much as lahpet is food, it means so much more to me – heritage, hospitality and history. Humble yet powerful, tea has a way of bringing people together. As London’s food scene grows ever more curious, I love to be able to share Myanmar’s edible tea traditions with the capital, one salad at a time.
