Tea Leaves; Fermented Tea Leaves; Pickled Tea Leaves

Laphet is the Burmese word for “green tea.” It’s also the term for tea leaves that have been stored in earthenware jars and left to ferment. They have a distinctive flavor, tart and fresh, that is very appealing, even to foreigners who have never tried them before. They are the main ingredient in one of Burma’s most well-known dishes, laphet thoke, or tea-leaf salad. They are sold in Burmese groceries and are now becoming available in other Southeast Asian groceries too.