Leppet-so or lephet-tho , also known as pickled tea (silage tea) - is a national Burmese dish, which is a salad of pickled tea leaves. Myanmar (Burma) is one of the few countries where tea is consumed both as a drink and as food. Sour tea is valued not only as a national delicacy , but also plays a significant role in Burmese society. His place in Myanmar cuisine is reflected in the following popular expression: Of all the fruits, the best is mango ; Of all the meat, the best is pork ; of all the leaves, the best are leppet so .
Content
- 1 Cultivation
- 2 Production
- 3 Traditions
- 4 notes
- 5 Links
Cultivation
In Myanmar, tea bushes of the varieties Camellia sinensi s and Camellia assamica are grown mainly in the hills of the northern part of the state of Shan around the city of Namshan , the capital of the self-governing zone of Palaung , where the eponymous Palaung people live . It is also cultivated around the city of Mogou in the Mandalay district and near the city of Kengtung (state of Shan).
Tea bushes are cultivated on an area of 700 square meters. km, from which annually harvest 60-70 thousand tons. The annual consumption of pickled tea reaches 17% of this mass, and drinks are made from the rest of the raw materials.
Production
Tea leaves are harvested during the Burmese twelfth lunar month of Tabaung (late March - early April). Leaves are harvested in the early morning, and in the evening, dried leaves are placed in a special cylindrical vessel for steaming. Steam enters the tank through small holes on a flat bottom from a pot of boiling water, on which the cylinder is tightly mounted. This procedure takes from 30 minutes to an hour. Next, steamed leaves are laid out on clean bamboo mats located on a special platform, and they are manually kneaded there. Then a pit 3 m deep and 3 m in diameter is used. The bottom and edges of the pit are laid with dry flexible bamboo stems and fresh leaves. Crushed tea leaves are lowered there, rammed so that they become a packed mass and there is no air between them. Next, a heavy wooden cover is lowered into the pit, securely pressing the rammed leaves. Heavy stones are always placed on top of the lid. In this form, tea leaves are kept for a year. After a year, this makeshift cellar is opened, tea leaves are taken out and packaged. Now they are ready to cook Burmese dishes.
Traditions
Leppet-so was an ancient symbol of the proposal of peace between the warring kingdoms in the history of Myanmar, exchanged and used after the settlement of the dispute. In pre-colonial and colonial times, leppet-sö was served after a civil court judge issued a verdict; if the arbitrators ate it, this indicated the formal adoption of the verdict.
Notes
Links
- Myanmar Lahpet Thoke Pickled Green Tea in Myanmar: Lahpet Thoke