Oh hey there. Let’s talk salad. Because it’s been a while. (And, let’s be real, my waistline is still recovering after those Mudslide Brownie Bites….)

This Burmese Tea Leaf Salad might need to be your next exotic culinary adventure. And believe you me, it is very much worth it.

For any of you Asian food junkies out there, Burmese food kind of having a moment right now. If you’ve been to San Francisco recently you might have noticed the vast number of Burmese restaurants popping up. Sadly we don’t seem to have one in San Diego (or if we do it has been very well hidden from me!), but I keep waiting for the trend to spread south… But, needless to say, as a resident Asian food junkie, I’m clearly without bounds when it comes to acquiring my latest Asian food craving. And thus I make frequent demands for Burmese food when we go to visit the Bay.

But sometimes you just get cravings for Burmese food and you can’t really justify another trip to the Bay Area (especially when you just got back like 1 week before), so you find yourself scouring the internet for the best recipe for DIY Burmese Tea Leaf Salad. (And then you just really need to post about it on The Gourmet Gourmand…)

So what the heck is Burmese Tea Leaf Salad? No it’s not a salad entirely made up of tea leaves.

The tea leaf portion is not the lettuce, but is actually the “dressing” component for the salad. The flavor is quite earthy and tangy, the result of fermenting the leaves underground for a period of weeks. (Of note- according to our most recent waiter, the US food safety regulations prohibit underground fermentation, so they make do with an above-ground container for the tea leaves). Regardless of methodological integrity, the fermented leaves are decidedly delicious.

My “fermentation” is more of a faux-fermentation as I did not feel confident in my food safety skills. The dressing is basically tea leaves marinated in vinegar, oil, and combined with aromatics. I thought the dressing had amazing flavor, and while an expert will probably be able to taste a slight difference, the results were still fabulous! Dressing aside, it also would not be Burmese Tea Leaf Salad without the addition of lots of “crunchy bits” to the salad.

Apparently, in Burma, the salad is made up entirely of dried beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and then tossed with the dressing. In the US, however, it is typical for the salad to be served as a bed of romaine lettuce and accompanied by numerous nuts, legumes, and seeds to accompany the lettuce. Fried garlic is also a must. Seriously. (Don’t skip it!)

So once your components are assembled, toss the salad with the dressing, squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over your salad, and savor this unique taste of Burma from the comfort of your own kitchen. There are no trips required. Enjoy!

Did you make today’s recipe? I love to see what my Gourmet Gourmandians’ are cooking up! Hashtag #TheGourmetGourmand on instagram for free instalove. (And, Uhm.. You rock )