Empire and the Reordering of Edibility: Deconstructing Betel Quid Through Metropolitan Discourses of Intoxication

Rohel, Jaclyn

doi:10.1080/20549547.2017.1353317

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…My examination of the trendiness of laphet thoke takes its cue from and contributes to scholarship in food and culture studies on the changing notions of edibility and the adoption of foreign foods (see, for example, Bender 2017;Rohel 2017;Norton 2006;Wilk 2006), and the space of restaurants in intercultural culinary encounters and as primary sites of innovation (Barbas 2003). I elucidate key moments in the transformation of fermented tea leaf salad to show how it has taken on diverse meanings and uses over time in its travels from Myanmar to the United States, and beyond (cf.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Hasinoff

2021

Food and Foodways

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Who would have thought that out of all the dishes on our menu, Americans would go nuts for a salad mixed with a dark savory paste of fermented tea?" The demand for Burma Superstar's laphet thoke (fermented tea leaf salad) came initially as a surprise to San Francisco-restaurateur Desmond Tan. By 2018 the restaurant's fermented tea leaf salad was the fourth most popular restaurant item in the country on Yelp. The dish's nascent stardom is a dramatic departure from a colonial-era description of its key ingredient, laphet (fermented tea), as a "putrescent mass of smashed up leaves." Witnessing the success of Burma Superstar's laphet thoke, and a crescendo of interest in Burmese cuisine following Myanmar's democratic reforms in 2012, an array of American restaurants has offered various versions of it, and dozens of food writers have been quick to publish recipes for it. In spite of the salad's new-found cult following, laphet has remained rare for chefs and home cooks. This article focuses on laphet thoke, and argues that its origins, material properties, and culinary innovations have contributed to its popularity among American foodies. And, through the example of Tan's adaptations of the salad and its key ingredient, this piece reveals the processes by which some exotic foods are modified and materialize as trendy fare.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Hasinoff

2021

Food and Foodways

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“…As a psychoactive substance that spans borders and cultures, betel nut has taken on a wide variation of terms that reflect its regional influence. Despite its historical and geographical significance, the areca nut has received far less research attention than other stimulants such as tobacco, coffee or tea (Rohel, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tradition Gone Mobile: An Exploration of #Betelnut on Instagram

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Rathnayake

Neo

et al. 2020

Substance Use & Misuse

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Background: As a psychoactive substance that spans borders and cultures, researchers estimate that 600 million people use the areca nut. Despite its historical and geographical significance, betel nut use has received far less research attention than other stimulants such as tobacco, coffee or tea. Scholars have observed that social media platforms have significant effects on the promotion and use of addictive substances.Objectives: Our study investigates user practices and activities on a sample of Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dating back to 2011.Methods: Using social media analytics and hashtag network analysis, we examined user practices and activities on a sample of over 7800 Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dated between July 2011 to February 2019 that were collected in early 2019.Results: Findings determined that #betelnut is a growing topical hashtag on Instagram with content that drives social engagement.Importance: Co-occurring hashtags with #betelnut reflect regional language and cultural naming conventions that center around the Indian subcontinent and Melanesia. The importance of future work in this area is highlighted.

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Ordering volatile openings: instrumentation and the rationalization of bodily odors

Spackman

2019

Food, Culture & Society

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Empire and the Reordering of Edibility: Deconstructing Betel Quid Through Metropolitan Discourses of Intoxication

Cited by 4 publications

References 55 publications

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Tradition Gone Mobile: An Exploration of #Betelnut on Instagram

Ordering volatile openings: instrumentation and the rationalization of bodily odors

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Empire and the Reordering of Edibility: Deconstructing Betel Quid Through Metropolitan Discourses of Intoxication

Cited by 4 publications

References 55 publications

Eat Your TeaTM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Eat Your TeaTM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Tradition Gone Mobile: An Exploration of #Betelnut on Instagram

Ordering volatile openings: instrumentation and the rationalization of bodily odors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)

Eat Your Tea^TM: the unexpected and unfinished intercultural history of fermented tea leaf salad (laphet thoke)