Fermented Tea Leaf Salad (Miang Teum / Lahpet Parallel)

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Thompson identifies in Thai Food the use of fermented tea leaves (a preparation shared with Burmese lahpet) in the northernmost border regions of Thailand — a fermented, compressed tea leaf used as a salad base with roasted sesame, fried garlic, peanuts, dried shrimp, and lime juice. This entry provides the technique context for a preparation that Thompson discusses as evidence of the Burmese cultural influence that, along with the Lanna kingdom's own traditions, shaped northern Thai cooking. The preparation represents a flavour world completely unlike central Thai cooking — the fermented tea's slightly bitter, umami-forward, complex character as the primary flavour element rather than fish sauce or shrimp paste.

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