Lahpet

Burmese pickled tea LahpetLahpet thoke, Burmese tea leaf salad or pickled tea salad is a favourite national dish.Place of originBurmaRegion or statepossibly Namhsan, Shan StateAssociated cuisineBurmese cuisineMain ingredients Fermented tea leaves oil salt nuts Media: Lahpet Lahpet, also spelled laphek, laphet, l'phak, leppek, le'pek, or lek-pek in English (Burmese: လက်ဖက်, MLCTS: lak hpak, pronounced [ləpʰɛʔ]), is Burmese for fermented or pickled tea. In Myanmar, tea is consumed both as a drink and as an eaten delicacy, in the form of pickled tea, which is unique to this region. Lahpet is regarded as a national delicacy that plays a significant role in Burmese society, and remains a traditional Burmese gesture of hospitality and is served to guests visiting a home. Its place in the cuisine of Myanmar is reflected by the following popular expression: "Of all the fruit, the mango's the best; of all the meat, pork's the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet's the best". In English-speaking areas, laphet is most commonly encountered in "tea leaf salad" (လက်ဖက်သုပ်). Fermented or pickled tea is featured in the cuisines of many ethnicities who live near