Myanmar – Laphet Khohk

by Fauzan Anandika

Processing tea leaves to make a beverage has been founded from the 3rd century in Southwest China and started been trade the world at 16th-century trough silk road. To make the tea leaves become a beverage, people brew it with hot water and adding some sugar to make it taste great Tea leaves usually make a beverage by brewed it with hot water. But people in Myanmar Southeast Asia consume tea leaves using a different way. Those people fermenting tea leaves and eat them as a salad. There are many kinds of a dish using tea leaves as the ingredient since Myanmar people love to eat tea leaves. One of the cuisines is Laphet Thohk.

Laphet Thohk is a Myanmar salad using Laphet as the main ingredient, topped with fresh vegetables, tomatoes, roast peanut, garlic oil, and minced garlic. Laphet word comes from a local language that means fermented tea leaves. Myanmar people eat Laphet Thohk as a side dish or an appetizer. What makes this dish special? People believe that eating Laphet Thohk makes them on full concentration.

According to local history, in ancient times, people eat fermented ted to symbolize peace between two kingdoms. Right now, they eat fermented tea as a welcoming dish to honor their guest. For Myanmar people, Laphet has become an important food. They have a tradition on every tea harvest time. The best leave will be separated and fermented to make Laphet, for the other tea leaves will be dried to make tea and beverages.

Laphet Khohk also known as a healthy dish, contain high fiber, vitamins, and mineral. Eating Laphet becomes a meal choice for the diet menu. To make Laphet Khohk is quite simple and easy. You can buy all the ingredients in a grocery store. You only need to spare 25 minutes of your time to make it. Let’s try together.

Fermented tea ingredient

• 50 gram dried tea
• 100-gram cabbage, chopped
• 4 scallion, chopped
• 1 wisp coriander leaf, chopped
• 1 segment ginger
• 4 clove garlic, crush
• 2 cayenne pepper, sliced
• 2 lime juices

Salad ingredients

• 20 grams sesame seed
• 30 grams roasted peanut
• 10 grams fried garlic
• 30 grams fried yellow peas
• 1 tomato
• 10 dried shrimp
• 20 grams shredded cabbage
• 1 lime juice
• Sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoon garlic oil

How to Cook the Laphet

1. Brew tea leaves with hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the liquid and change it with warm water. Squeeze the tea leaves to remove the bitter taste. Do this for the second time.
3. Remove the liquid again and pour cold water. Soak tea leaves for one night.
4. Remove the liquid by squeezing it by hand. Then blend it with a food processor.
5. Drain the leaves again.
6. Chop cabbage, coriander leaf, cayenne pepper, and scallions.
7. Peeled and chop the ginger.
8. Crush the garlic.
9. Mix the drained tea leaves with cabbage, coriander leaf, cayenne pepper, scallion, and don’t forget ginger and garlic
10. Pour lime juice and mix slowly.
11. Place Laphet in a glass container and close it tightly. 
12. Ferment for 3 days.
13. Add vegetable oil before serving.

Preparing the salad

1. Mix all salad ingredients except garlic oil.
2. Pour some garlic oil and mix finely.
3. Serve with warm rice or as an appetizer.