Breakfast
Lahpet Yay with Vietnamese Rice Milk and Sesamose
About this dish
Lahpet yay, the fermented green tea leaf dressing that anchors Burmese cuisine, meets a silky Vietnamese rice milk in this cross-border bowl. The dish nods to the Shan hills, where lahpet is both an everyday food and a symbol of hospitality; the addition of sesamose—toasted sesame and peanut crumble—adds a fragrant crunch that cuts through the creamy rice.
It is a quiet, layered preparation: tart, nutty, faintly bitter, and deeply satisfying. Serve it as a cooling breakfast or a restorative afternoon snack, the way it might appear on a family table in Yangon or a market stall in Hanoi.
Ingredients
UK and US measurements are both included for every recipe.
Fermented green tea leaves
vegetable120 g
Imperial measurement: 1 cup
Vietnamese rice milk
liquid400 ml
Imperial measurement: 1 2/3 cups
Toasted sesame seeds
grain30 g
Imperial measurement: 1/4 cup
Roasted peanuts
protein50 g
Imperial measurement: 1/3 cup
Garlic
vegetable2 cloves
Fresh ginger
spice1 tsp
Lime juice
fruit1 tbsp
Soy sauce
seasoning1 tbsp
Sesame oil
fat1 tsp
Salt
seasoning1/4 tsp
Method
Prepare the lahpet
5 minutesRinse the fermented green tea leaves under cold water to remove excess salt. Drain well, then squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Chop finely and set aside.
Make the sesamose
5 minutesIn a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar. Add the roasted peanuts and crush lightly with a pestle until coarsely ground. Stir in a pinch of salt if desired.
Build the dressing
3 minutesIn a mixing bowl, combine the chopped lahpet, minced garlic, grated ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well to form a fragrant, slightly wet dressing.
Warm the rice milk
2 minutesGently warm the Vietnamese rice milk in a small saucepan over low heat until just steaming, about 2 minutes. Do not boil.
Assemble and serve
3 minutesDivide the warm rice milk between two bowls. Spoon the lahpet dressing over the top. Sprinkle generously with the sesamose. Serve immediately, with extra lime wedges if desired.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Frying pan
- Mortar and pestle
- Small saucepan
Nutrition facts
Tips
- Look for prepared lahpet at Southeast Asian markets, if unavailable, you can substitute with a mild, salt-fermented green tea leaf product.
- To keep the rice milk from splitting, warm it gently and avoid boiling.
- The sesamose can be made ahead and stored in an airtight jar for up to a week, re-crisp in a dry pan before serving.
- Adjust the lime and soy sauce to your taste—lahpet is inherently salty and tart, so balance carefully.
Serving suggestions
- Serve as a comforting breakfast or light lunch.
- Pair with steamed rice or crusty bread to soak up the rice milk.
- Offer extra lime wedges and a small bowl of sesamose on the side for customizing.
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Recipe by
Thiri Tun
Specialises in Burmese cuisineThiri is a tea leaf salad master who ferments her own tea leaves in a clay pot. She will not tell you the recipe.
Describe yourself in three words: Mysterious, secretive, delicious.