Food and Beverage

Burma Love creates jobs from beloved salad products

Popular San Francisco-based restaurant Burma Superstar launched a product line inspired by its popular fermented tea leaf salad and created jobs for Burmese farmers.

Jessie Shafer, RD, Bill Giebler

May 24, 2017

Customers stand in line for hours to taste the popular fermented tea leaf salad at the San Francisco-area Burma Superstar restaurants, known for Burmese homestyle cooking. Inspired by the salad's cult following, the restaurant’s owner launched Burma Love Natural Foods Co. so fans could re-create the salads at home from its laphet (fermented tea leaf dressing), laphet aioli, salad kits and crunchy salad topper. To source the best tea leaves, the company goes to northern Myanmar (Burma) where it works with local farmers and has created a farmers’ co-op that allows Burmese tea farmers to work in their home country year-round, rather than having to travel to other countries to find work.

About the Authors

Jessie Shafer, RD

Jessie Shafer, RD

Director of Influence & Health Education, New Hope Network

Jessie Shafer, RD, is New Hope Network's director of influence and health education. In this role, Jessie curates opportunities and appropriate partnerships for New Hope's health and wellness influencer audience, as well as health practitioner and nutrition expert audience. Jessie is a Northwestern University graduate, registered dietitian, and long-time health journalist, having worked for more than 17 years at four major publishing houses on consumer-facing health brands, including Meredith Corporation and August Home Publishing and holding the role of editor-in-chief of Delicious Living for four years. Jessie and her husband relocated from Iowa to Colorado in 2015 where they enjoy riding their bike, hiking in the mountains and being mom to a cute and curious toddler.

See more from Jessie Shafer, RD

Bill Giebler

Bill Giebler

Content & Insights Director, Nutrition Business Journal

An award-winning writer and natural products industry veteran—with decades of experience in food and supplement retail, lifestyle mail order and organic textiles product development—Nutrition Business Journal Content & Insights Director Bill Giebler reports on dietary supplements and food and agricultural trends and opportunities across New Hope Network properties.

See more from Bill Giebler

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