Many of us are familiar with Thai curries and Vietnamese pho (there’s a reason why pho always tastes better in restaurant, by the way), but the culinary delights of Myanmar (less formally known as Burma) have mostly flown under the radar. Lahpet thoke is a fermented green tea leaf salad that is gaining a following for its unique textures and flavors along with the health benefits from fermented green tea. If you are tired of drinking kombucha every day for gut health, you may want to try this salad instead.
Fermented tea leaves have a centuries-long and prominent place in the history of Myanmar. In the past, they were exchanged between warring parties as a peace offering. These days, lahpet thoke is a common dish served as a sign of hospitality at social gatherings.
The salad ingredients vary but often include cabbage, tomatoes, toasted sesame seeds, peanuts, fresh chili peppers, and fried garlic chips. The different ingredients are often served in a dish with various compartments so that those eating it can mix and match as they please. The salad can have shrimp powder added or be drizzled with fish sauce, but these can be omitted to make the salad vegan. The one thing this salad absolutely cannot be without is the lahpet (fermented tea leaf dressing).
Where to find lahpet (and what to do if you can’t)
If you are lucky enough to live near a Burmese restaurant, it’s pretty much guaranteed that lahpet thoke will be on the menu. Otherwise, you could try an Asian market like H Mart, where you may be able to find jars of prepared lahpet, sometimes labeled as pickled or fermented tea. You might even find some other delicious new foods to try while you are at H Mart. If all else fails, however, you can easily make lahpet at home.
In Myanmar, the fresh tea leaves are packed into baskets and left for three to six months to ferment. But in a pinch, you can ferment your leaves in a week. You just need some high-quality green tea leaves, oil, herbs, and seasonings. Some ingredients for a tasty green tea dressing includes garlic cloves, cilantro, ginger, dried chili flakes, and lime juice, but you can add or subtract as you please. The tea leaves, oil, and lime juice are the most crucial components.
To ferment the dressing, start by steeping 4 tablespoons of green tea for a few minutes and then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Add in oil, lime juice, and seasonings and blend until fine. Put the mixture in a sterilized glass jar, cover with a clean coffee filter, let it sit for seven days, and then your fermented dressing should be ready. The dressing’s unique flavor is similar to umami, and it’s at once salty and a little sour. It complements the flavors and texture of the salad incredibly well, and once you’ve tried it, it’s hard to stop. The good news is there’s no reason to, as it’s full of nutrients and antioxidants with the added bonus of having prebiotics.
