That "Lephet" (pickled tea leaves) is the unique Myanmar delicacy is a known fact by now.
There is also the other aspect of "Lephet", its social significance woven into the fabric of Myanmar life. For every important ceremony, occasion, celebration can never be deemed complete with put lephet "the new leaf of the Deities taking the premiere place.
Lets start with a wedding ceremony, for it is the most joyous occasion where two lovers are wedded in most auspicious setting, in the presence of parents and elders. It is also Buddhist tradition to pay homage to lord Buddha, the Exalted Teacher; and pray to the Sanghas, the holy monks for blessing, after offering ‘soon’, a sumptuous meal or rice, curry and other delectable delicacies. It is traditional on such propitious occasion to prepare a ‘kantawpwe’ offering. This is how the ‘kantawpwe’ is prepared. Three banana bunches are placed in a medium-size enamel bowl, with a green coconut complete with stem in the middle. Eugenia leaves, and other flowers are placed in the bowl. And choicest raw lephet is placed in the kantawpwe to make it complete. It is then put in the place of honour until the whole ceremony is complete, and then distributed among friends and relatives. Eating these bring luck and can also ward off evil influences of the bad spirits.
The lephet and kantawpwe occupies the centre place in the ground-breaking ceremony when a new house, or building or even a condominium is intended to be built. Invocations are offered to the guardian spirits to bless the round and the upcoming structures so that nothing untoward will happen.
The lephet and kantawpwe is a offered before launching a ship too. After the holy monks blessed the ship, the kantawpwe is placed on the bow of the ship when it is waterborne.
Lephet has a venerable place in the settlements of disputes or in reconciliation of a lawsuit, where after amicable negotiation, lephet is served signifying alls well that ends well.
Nowhere is lephet’s role more evident than in the festival of the nats (spirits) hosted in all corners of the country. It is a boisterous racuous revelry with offerings of lephet to the respective guardian spirits, with the accompaniment of Myanmar traditional music troupe singing and dancing by the mediums, and joined in by the revelers too.
There are so many festivities all the year round in our country and you can just imaging how popular lephet is as an item for offering.
Thus lephet with kantawpwe will be a familiar sight for visitors, who now will understand its significance and be no more stranger to its presence.