Myanmar tea: what is it, what does it taste like and why is it so rare?
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Myanmar tea: what is it, what does it taste like and why is it so rare?
In the mountains of Shan State, tea is not just drunk: it is grown, processed, eaten and has accompanied the daily lives of several peoples in Myanmar for generations.
Myanmar has a true tea culture
Myanmar tea is still barely visible in European shops, but this is not a recent development.
The mountainous regions of Shan State, particularly around Namhsan, have a long tradition of tea cultivation.
A remarkable feature: the same region can produce green tea, black tea and fermented tea intended to be eaten, notably in the form of laphet.
Myanmar, an origin that is poorly known
For many French tea lovers, Myanmar does not spontaneously appear on the world map of tea.
China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Taiwan occupy the shelves of specialty shops much more often.
Yet, Myanmar is located precisely in a region of Asia where tea has extremely ancient roots.
The country shares a border with Chinese Yunnan, one of the great historical territories of Camellia sinensis .
In the highlands of Shan State, tea plants have been part of the rural landscape for several generations.
And unlike many regions where tea is primarily considered a beverage, Myanmar has given it a much broader place.
Where does tea grow in Myanmar?!--nl-->
The majority of the important production regions are located in the country's mountainous areas.
Shan State, which occupies a large part of eastern and northeastern Myanmar, is particularly associated with tea.
The Myanmar Tea Association notably cites areas in northern and southern Shan State among the main production basins.
The terrain there creates cooler environments than in the tropical plains.
Plantations can be found on mountain slopes, sometimes in the middle of other crops and natural vegetation.
As elsewhere, altitude, rainfall, temperature, exposure and the type of tea plant contribute to shaping the raw material.
This is exactly what we explore in our Tsuru dedicated to the terroir of tea .
Namhsan: a historic tea territory
If you had to remember one name to understand Myanmar tea, it would probably be Namhsan.
This mountainous region in northern Shan State is regularly cited as one of the main historical production centers.
A university study directly dedicated to Namhsan describes the township as the largest tea-producing region in Myanmar at the time of the study.
But above all, Namhsan is remarkable for the diversity of its processing methods.
Producers can transform the leaves there into:
- green tea;
- black tea;
- fermented tea intended for food.
This means that the same leaf, depending on the season and the chosen process, can have several destinies.
The Ta’ang/Palaung and tea
Tea cultivation in northern Shan State is closely linked to the Ta’ang peoples, also referred to in many sources as the Palaung.
In the Namhsan region, tea has historically been a major agricultural crop.
The Myanmar Tea Association highlights that several ethnic groups, notably the Palaung, Shan, Danu and Pa-O, directly participate in the country's tea heritage.
Here, tea is therefore not just an agricultural production: it is part of an economic, social and cultural system passed down from generation to generation.
Laphet: when tea is eaten
This is probably the most fascinating characteristic of Burmese tea.
In Myanmar, some tea leaves are prepared not to be steeped, but to be fermented and then consumed as food.
This product is known as laphet, with several transcription variants depending on the sources.
A scientific study published in 1999 describes a fermented edible tea in Shan State called Lepet-so, produced by bacterial fermentation in low-oxygen conditions.
After processing, the tea can be consumed in different preparations.
The most famous is probably laphet thoke, often translated as tea leaf salad.
It can contain fermented leaves accompanied, depending on the recipes, by crunchy legumes, seeds, garlic, oil or other ingredients.
It is therefore not simply a flavored tea or a particularly strong infusion.
It is another way of considering the tea leaf itself.
In Myanmar, tea is both a beverage and food
This dual use strongly distinguishes Burmese tea culture.
Part of the harvest can be directed towards green tea or black tea intended for steeping.
Another can be processed to produce laphet.
The decision depends notably on the season, the quality of the available leaves, local methods and market demand.
One plant, several transformations
Shan black tea and laphet do not come from two completely different plants.
On the contrary, they illustrate a fundamental principle of tea:
processing matters as much as the leaf itself.
After picking, the producer can direct the leaves towards different processes.
To obtain black tea, notably, a significant enzymatic oxidation is allowed to develop after rolling.
For green tea, on the contrary, this oxidation is quickly limited by a heating step.
For laphet, we enter a completely different process involving microbial fermentation.
This is precisely why simply talking about “Myanmar tea” is not enough.
How is Shan black tea made?
The general principle resembles that of other orthodox black teas.
After harvest, the leaves can undergo several major steps:
There are orthodox productions in Myanmar but also CTC black tea.
Several local producers currently market both styles.
For a specialty shop, an orthodox black tea in leaves above all allows to observe the leaf more and discover the particular expression of a batch.
Myanmar Black Tea Leaf – Shan Black Tea
We have chosen to offer this origin with our Myanmar Black Tea Leaf – Shan Black Tea .
It is a plain black tea intended to introduce an origin still relatively underrepresented in French shops.
The interest here is not only its cup profile, but also what it tells: a region where tea has a much broader history than that of infusion.
What does Myanmar black tea taste like?
One must be careful with this question.
There is no single taste of Myanmar.
The profile depends on the terroir, the plant material, the season, the picking and the processing method.
Some black teas from Shan State are described by producers and tasters as having mild, malty, fruity, woody or slightly honeyed characteristics.
But these terms must remain tasting guidelines and not mandatory characteristics.
Two batches originating from the same region can be very different.
Myanmar tea and Yunnan tea: are they comparable?
Geographically, the comparison is tempting.
Shan State is located just southwest of China’s Yunnan province and is part of a vast mountainous region in Asia with a long history of tea cultivation.
Some black tea profiles may recall characteristics found in Yunnan: sweetness, notes of ripe fruit, wood or malt.
But it would be reductive to present Myanmar as a mere extension of Yunnan.
Each region has its own producers, uses, processing methods and, above all, its own tea culture.
And how does it compare to an Assam?
Once again, the comparison can serve as a point of reference, but not as a rule.
Assams are often associated with powerful, full-bodied and malty cups.
Some Shan black teas can also offer body and malt, but with a sometimes softer or woodier character.
So it is not a question of better or worse.
They are simply two different territories that show how far the same plant can change depending on its environment and processing.
Why is Myanmar tea so rare in France?
The word “rare” must be understood carefully here.
It does not mean that Myanmar produces almost no tea.
It means above all that Myanmar teas remain poorly represented in specialized European trade channels.
Historically, a large part of the country’s tea was intended for domestic consumption.
Laphet itself accounts for a particular part of this consumption.
The specialty tea export sector is far less developed than that of countries such as China, India, Sri Lanka or Kenya.
To this are added the economic, political and logistical difficulties Myanmar has experienced.
The result: a Shan black tea can be relatively common locally while remaining almost unknown to a French enthusiast.
Rare does not automatically mean exceptional
A little-known origin is not automatically superior to a famous one.
Commercial rarity may simply reflect a low level of export.
To judge a tea, you must return to the same criteria: leaf quality, processing, freshness, storage, traceability and batch consistency.
How to choose a Myanmar tea?
Since it is still a little-known origin, a few pieces of information are particularly useful.
- the production region, ideally Shan State or a more specific area;
- the type of tea: black, green, white or other;
- the manufacturing method when known;
- whether it is plain or flavored;
- a clear description of the leaf and the cup;
- consistent preparation parameters.
The more unusual the origin, the more important the precision of the product sheet becomes.
How to prepare a Shan black tea?
In the absence of a universal prescription for all Myanmar black teas, it is best to start with a gentle and adjustable method.
If the cup seems too light, slightly increase the steeping time.
If it becomes too dry or too tannic, reduce the time instead of changing the amount of leaves.
Our guide how to properly steep the different types of tea details this approach.
Who to recommend a Myanmar black tea to?
It will be particularly suitable for the enthusiast who already knows the great classic black teas and wishes to discover a less common origin.
It may also interest those who like to understand the history behind their cup.
Because here, the real interest lies not only in the aromatic profile.
It also lies in this culture where the same leaf can become an infusion or a fermented food.
Everything explained in a few answers
Does Myanmar tea come from Burma?
Yes. Myanmar is the current official name of the country often called Burma in French.
Is laphet an infusion?
No. Laphet refers to fermented tea leaves intended to be consumed as food.
Are all Burmese teas fermented?
No. Myanmar also produces green tea, black tea and other styles intended for infusion.
Does Shan State produce black tea?
Yes. Namhsan and other areas of Shan State produce black teas, including orthodox teas.
Why is there little Burmese tea found in France?
Because the domestic market remains historically important and the specialty tea export channels are far less developed than those of the major international origins.
What to remember about Myanmar tea
-
Shan State is one of the country’s major tea-growing territories.
- Namhsan has historically been closely linked to tea production.
- The Ta’ang/Palaung play an important role in this culture.
- Myanmar produces green tea, black tea and fermented tea.
- Laphet is a fermented tea consumed as food.
- Shan black tea can be produced using an orthodox method.
- The aromatic profile varies greatly depending on the producer and batch.
- Its rarity in France is mainly commercial, not botanical.
Here, tea is drunk… but it is also eaten
Myanmar reminds us that our European way of looking at tea is just one way among others.
In the mountains of Shan State, the leaf can become black tea, green tea or laphet. It is at once an agricultural crop, a drink, food and heritage.
Discovering Myanmar tea means discovering another way of thinking about the tea leaf.
Sources & verifications
Historical, cultural and technical information was cross-referenced from academic, professional and institutional sources. Taste descriptions remain sensory guidelines and should not be considered universal.
- International Trade Centre & Myanmar Tea Association — Myanmar Tea Heritage, 2022
- Myanmar Tea Association — tea-growing communities and regions
- Kyoto University — The Choices and Relationships of Tea Producers: Namhsan Township, Shan State
- Journal of Home Economics of Japan — Post-Heated and Fermented Edible Teas in Myanmar
- Shwe Panlaw — producer of Shan State black and green teas
- Nagar Pyan Tea — Namhsan productions, orthodox black tea, CTC and green tea
