sagarr jaung pwe. On the day of the engagement, the bride‘s family and seven of their nearby
neighbors are served with fermented tea leaves mixed together with other ingredients similar to
the earlier cases. The servers (the groom‘s side) will feed them saying, ―Please enjoy this gift
of fermented tea which is for the sagarr jaung pwe". The seven neighboring families are also
invited as witnesses to the engagement.
Traditionally, in Myanmar, farmers would carry out the wedding ceremony by giving
each other a bamboo pole of fermented tea and a casket of betel quid. This is done to signify
the vows that both sides have made for each other and indicates the deep meaning and
importance of tea in Myanmar society. (MRTV, 19 May, 2019)
Tea continues to have significance in other local customs such as the ear-piercing
ceremony (a rite of passage for girls reaching of age), in name giving ceremonies and other
auspicious donative ceremonies that are important life events in Myanmar people‘s lives. In
these ceremonies, tea is packed and served to guests, and is used as invitational gifts. It is the
custom that once the tea packet has arrived to the doorstep, the residents cannot decline the
invitation. Accepting the tea packet is promising to attend the wedding. If the receiver is
unable to attend the wedding, the tea packet should be given back on the spot.
Fermented Tea Salad (laphet thoke) Culture
As one of Myanmar‘s traditional favorite food, fermented tea has been developed into
many different dishes with different preparing methods. Among these, fermented tea salad or
laphet thoke is one of the favorite dishes. The ingredients added to the fermented tea salad vary
from one locality to another. Fundamentally, the dish is prepared by firstly washing the tea
fermenting it, salting it, and the leaving it to sit well in a gracious amount of oil. A pinch of
lime is added for taste. Before it is eaten, sesame seeds are sprinkled on top. For a more
wholesome dish, Myanmar people add freshly thin sliced tomatoes, dried prawns, green chilies
and lime juice. This is eaten with hot rice, or leftovers. It is a traditionally guaranteed to cure
the munchies. It is usually eaten for breakfast or as afternoon snack. And because of that,
fermented tea is a food in every Myanmar household (see figure-11).
In Myanmar tradition, betel, cheroot and tea are the three indispensable treats that are
served to guests. There is hardly anyone who does not like fermented tea. Even if they have to
avoid fermented tea for health reasons, when people see it, they can‘t help but steal at least a
bite. There are different variants of fermented tea salad found across Myanmar. There are the
Aboe Kyi Laphet thoke or ‗old man‘s fermented tea salad‘, the spicy and sour chinsat lappet
thoke the danyhin thee laphet that where the fermented tea is stored together with Jenkol peas,
the pyaungphoo be-ou laphet thoke which means it is mixed together with corn and duck eggs.
Another variant is called the pyomay doh kyike de laphet thoke or ladies‘ fermented tea salad,
and of course the combination of Myanmar‘s two favorite foods, laphet htamin or fermented
tea rice.
Although fermented tea is one of the most popular foods in Myanmar, traditionally, it is
rarely used in the funeral ceremony. Instead it is served to guests and mourners in the form of
hot plain tea, fermented tea salad along with cheroots and sunflower seeds. Although
fermented tea leaves are rarely used in the ceremony, it can still be seen being served to guests.