Polydish city guide
Best Lahpet in San Francisco
“Of all the leaves, lahpet's the best—a Burmese saying that captures how central fermented tea is to the culture.”
What the real thing tastes like
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 the geographical origin of tea, such as the cuisines of the Bulang, and in Tai cuisine (where it is known as mi
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Lahpet is fermented tea leaves that Burmese people eat as a delicacy, not just drink—a food that holds such weight in Myanmar's identity that locals say it surpasses all other leaves, the way mango tops fruits and pork tops meats. Served to guests as a gesture of welcome, it anchors Burmese hospitality and shows up most visibly in the West as tea leaf salad, though the tradition runs deep across the entire region, claimed by Bulang and Tai cuisines too.
Order it here when it has
- unique to the region
- significant role in Burmese society
- traditional gesture of welcome
Walk away when you see
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