Burma (Myanmar)

Wikipedia: Burma 
Updated: Apr. 16, 2014 

About Burma (Myanmar)

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a country in Asia bordering Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand.

Burma is near many important tea-producing regions, and it produces some tea, but its teas are not as well-known, and are not widely available in the West.

Tea is grown mostly in Tawngpeng district of Shan State in eastern Burma. This is very close to Yunnan province of China, and relatively near the tea producing regions of northeast India. This region uses the Assamica cultivar, a large-leaf cultivar of tea plant best-known for being grown in Assam, India.[1]

Most tea produced here is green tea and is consumed domestically; a small amount is exported to Yunnan.[1] The region also does produce black tea, and black tea consumption has been increasing.[2] Most of the production is artisanal and done by hand.[3]

Lahpet or pickled tea leaf salad

A unique food dish, widely consumed in Burma, called Lahpet, or tea leaf salad, involves pickling tea leaves and serving them to eat with sesame seeds.[1] Although tea leaves are occasionally consumed in other cultures, Burma is the only country where tea leaves are widely eaten as food.

This dish comes in many different variants, usually including sesame seeds, and often including fried peanuts or beans, cabbage, lime, tomato, ginger, dried shrimp, fried grubs or beetle larvae, and many other ingredients.

Lahpet is produced commercially and often sold as a packaged product.

The dish is also important in many ceremonies in the country.

Climate and geography

The south of Burma is located in the tropics, and has a fully tropical climate. The northern areas and higher altitudes have a subtropical climate, moving to alpine and tundra at the highest altitudes, which extend to above 19,000 feet in height.

The entire country has a strongly seasonal precipitation pattern, following the pattern of the Asian monsoon. Most of the country has a high total annual rainfall, but there is a dry zone in the middle of the country.

Styles of Tea Produced in Burma (Myanmar)

This is a selection, not an exhaustive listing, of the styles of tea most commonly produced in Burma (Myanmar).

Best Burmese Teas

The notion of the "best" Burmese teas is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas produced in Burma (Myanmar), and allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Browse All Burmese Teas (10)