Analysis of Tea Culture in Myanmar Society: Practices of Tea Consumption in Upper Myanmar

Tea leaves, in many forms, are an important part of Myanmar society. Apart from being a favorite food, they possess metaphorical and symbolic value in the spiritual, social and religious parts of Myanmar daily life. There are many types of tea leaves in Myanmar. They are black tea, dried tea and fermented tea. Black tea is mostly used to make tea at tea shops. Dried tea is drunk plain with hot water. Fermented tea is considered a delicacy and is offered as gifts to the Buddha and the Sangha during religious donations and events and is used as offerings to Nat (spirits) as well. Fermented tea salad is widely consumed all around Myanmar. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze how tea is involved in Myanmar society. The objectives of the research are to identify the daily use of tea as a human utility, to analyze the effects in Myanmar society and the perceived benefits of the Myanmar tea leaf in the social, economic and religious aspects of Myanmar society. The methodology will be a qualitative approach based upon direct observations, in-depth interviews, and key-informant interviews. According to the findings of the research, tea is used daily in Myanmar society, in its beliefs, traditions, ceremonies and festivals. Tea is an inanimate substance for humans, but it is used by living organisms faithfully. Because of the long adhered tea-consuming traditions, tea has become associated with improving friendships, trust building and conflict resolution. Therefore, we examined the process through which peace, victory and collaboration among the people of Myanmar is conveyed through the consumption of tea leaves