Let me introduce you to tea leaf salad, or ‘lahpet (green tea) -thoke (salad)’ as it is called in Burmese, a salad made of fermented green tea leaves. You may think that tea leaves are only good for drinking, but that’s because you haven’t tried this delicious salad yet!

Historically the Lahpet-Thoke was served as a peace offering, after an important dispute between kingdoms was settled. In modern day times, it is served as a welcome snack in nearly every local home, as a snack in tea houses or as a side dish in restaurants. In a private house, you would typically be served a platter with fermented tea leaves and all other salad ingredients on the side, so everyone can mix the different components of the meal to their own liking. In restaurants, however, you will usually get a version where everything is already mixed together.