Burmese Tea Leaf Salad

After a leisurely stroll through the Asian Art Museum one afternoon in San Francisco, we were meandering back to our Union Square hotel, trying to avoid too many enormous San Francisco hills. Very quickly we entered Little Saigon, where it was possible to get banh mi every third storefront. Our kind of neighborhood. It is located on the edge of the Tenderloin--in other words, not an upscale neighborhood--it felt reasonably safe, at least in the late afternoon sun.

We were about to choose a Vietnamese restaurant when we happened upon the Burmese Kitchen. Burmese food is not something we have a lot of in Iowa, so we made that choice instead, and the very best thing we ate that afternoon was the tea leaf salad.  It had the perfect combination of salty, sweet, crunchy, and hot.  We were thinking about this salad for days, it was that memorable.

Upon arrival home, my spouse did a little investigating.  The short story is that we are not going to be making this at home any time soon.  Why?  Because the key ingredient is fermented pickled tea leaves, which we have appallingly limited access to, and are not likely to develop the skills to make them at home, at least not this year.

Lahpet is Burmese for fermented or pickled tea. Burma is one of very few countries where tea is eaten as well as drunk. Its pickled tea is unique in the region, and is not only regarded as the national delicacy but plays a significant role in Burmese society.  Unlike the Kline-Woodman household, most Burmese have the raw ingredients for the salad on hand in the cupboard, and since it is a raw salad, it is perfect for assembling regardless of the weather.  If you get a chance to try this salad, do not pass it up!