[1][2] Its place in the cuisine of Myanmar is reflected by the following popular expression: "Of all the fruit, the mango's the best; of all the meat, pork's the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet's the best".

[9] As Burmese kingdoms adopted more austere forms of Theravada Buddhism, pickled tea began to replace alcohol for ceremonial use among observant Buddhists.

[10] By the late 1700s, alongside cotton, tea had become a significant export for Burma, largely cultivated in the Palaung principality of Tawngpeng.

[12] The Burmese poet U Ponnya composed verses in the Laphet Myittaza (လက်ဖက်မေတ္တာစာ) and poems that identified shwephi tea leaves (ရွှေဖီ, lit.

[13] This has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a labour shortage and drastically reduced the average selling price of Burmese tea leaves.

[13] Bamar migrants from the Anyar region, who traditionally augmented the local workforce during the tea-growing season, have sought higher-paying jobs in Thailand or Burmese-Chinese border towns like Laukkai and Panghsang.

[18][19][20] Over 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) of land in Myanmar is under tea cultivation, with an annual yield of 60,000-70,000 tons of fresh product.

[2] Young leaves are then packed into bamboo vats or clay pots, set in pits and pressed by heavy weights to extract water.

[22] Stages of fermentation are indicated by the pulp's changes in color (from green to golden-green), texture (softened leaves), and acidity, which decreases with time.

The final form of laphet is then flavored with minced garlic, ground chili, salt, lemon juice, and peanut oil.

Lahpet is served in this form for hsun kyway (offering a meal to monks) at Buddhist novitiation ceremonies called shinbyu and at weddings.

[18] Its stimulant effect (from the caffeine in tea) is especially popular with students preparing for exams, pwè goers at all-night theatrical performances, and funeral aides who keep watch on caskets overnight.

[citation needed] It is prepared by mixing the ingredients of Mandalay lahpet (except for the coconut) and adding fresh tomatoes, garlic, green chilis, and shredded cabbage, and is dressed with fish sauce, sesame or peanut oil, and lime juice.

Mixed ingredients of fried garlic, peas, peanuts and sesame have become available Hna-pyan gyaw (twice-fried) for convenience, although they are traditionally sold separately.

[28] Originating from Burmese nunneries in the area, the laphet is fermented from the leaves of the naywe (နရွဲ) tree, or kyettet (ကြက်တက်), the Combretum pilosum plant.

[29][30] The pulp is then tightly wrapped into dried banbwe (ဘန့်ပွေး) leaves and left soaking in regularly changed water for up to 2 years, before it is consumed.