In recent years, Myanmar country has been called the “rising star” of Asian tourism. Not only people, culture, landscapes but also food of this land attract tourists to explore. Although Myanmar cuisine is heavily influenced by India, China, Thailand and the culinary cultures of many ethnic minorities, its cuisine still has its own characteristics. Let’s discover the unique cuisine that can not be missed when visiting Myanmar.
I/ Overview of Myanmar cuisine
Myanmar country has the full name of “Republic of the Union of Myanmar”, which is a Southeast Asian country, located on the northwestern part of the Sino-Indian Peninsula. With an area of 676.577 km², Myanmar is home to more than 100 ethnic groups. Myanmar cuisine includes dishes from different parts of Myanmar. The diversity of Myanmar cuisine has also been contributed by countless local ethnic minorities. The Burmese are the main group, but other groups including Chin also have their own cuisine.
The cuisine of Myanmar country always attract tourists
Traditionally, Burmese eat meals from a low table, and sit on a bamboo mat. The dishes are served at the same time. A typical meal consist of cooked rice is the main dish served with the hin, include a freshwater fish curry or alternatively a dried fish or a meat or poultry curry, and a thin soup called hin gyo. There are also fried foods such as fried onions as well as fried fish or fried beans. To respect, the oldest people in Myanmar country are always served before others. Even when the elders are absent, the first piece of rice is served separately to show respect to the parents, that’s a custom called “ucha”.
Myanmar people eat with their right hand. Chinese chopsticks and spoons are used to eat noodles, although salad noodles are usually served with a regular spoon. Knives and forks are rarely used at home but are always available to guests in restaurants and hotels. Drinks are often not served with the meal; instead of that, they usually have a soup that’s served in a common bowl.
II/ Some favorite food of Myanmar country
1. Shan rice
The Shan ethnic group has the highest population ratio in Myanmar. They not only have a long history of culture, but also have a distinctive culinary background. Shan rice is the traditional dishes of Shan that can not be ignored when visiting Myanmar. This dish is like a mixed rice dish. Rice is cooked with yellow-saffron water and served with crispy fried fish, roasted peanuts and some vegetable. Sometimes, the fish can be replaced with chicken. This distinctive and attractive dish off Myanmar country is usually served with fried rice pancakes and spicy sauce.
Shan rice – traditional dish of Myanmar people
2. Myanmar curry
Curries are a characteristic dish and traditional flavors of Myanmar cuisine. It’s present in any restaurant from budget to luxury in Myanmar country. There are many types of Myanmar curry, you can choose the main ingredients that make it, such as chicken, cows, pigs, sheep or seafood … A curry is usually served with rice, soup, fresh vegetables , fried vegetables and other herbs. According to the experience of Myanmar tourists, you should try eating curry cooked with onion and eat with rice, green tea salad, and fried tofu. It has quite good taste.
3. Myanmar noodles
If Vietnam has pho, Japan has Udon noodles, Malaysia has Laska, Singapore has Mee, … Myanma also has many noodles worth to enjoy.
● Shan tofu is a traditional noodle of Myanmar, attracts diners by the golden noodles, sweet and greasy noodle soup.
● In addition, Nan Gyi Thoke noodles are also a great dish, captivating you with large spinach, vegetable or curry noodle soup. It’s served with boiled eggs, sliced fish, and torn chicken.
● And certainly, you should also take the time to enjoy tofu noodles, the most distinctive and exotic food of Myanmar cuisine. The process of making this noodle is not the same as its name. It is mung bean porridge covered with noodles. When it’s eaten, it will be mixed up, and eat with marinated chicken or pork, green vegetables, chili…
● The Mohinga fish noodle is also a perfect suggestion for you. Mohinga is a type of vermicelli cooked in fish sauce, which is widely considered as Myanmar national food.
You can find and enjoy the delicious, unique, traditional Myanmar noodles when traveling self-sufficient in any market, street vendors, shops in Myanmar regardless of day or night.
Myanmar has many kinds of noodles, each one has its own characteristics
4. Myanmar Salads
Salads are also a feature in Myanmar cuisine, especially green tea salad and green tomato salad. Any visitor to Myanmar also has to enjoy a green tea salad once, this dish brings a lot of surprises for the first time people see it. Thinking of salads, people will think of snacks with mixed vegetables and green color. But green tea salad is brownish in color. The fermented tea leaves are bitter and sour, mixed with the fiber, tomato, bean sprouts, fried peanut and ground yellow powder. When eating, you should add some garlic oil and pepper. In addition, if you visit Inle Lake of Myanmar country, do not miss the green tomato salad – a popular snack popular in this area.
5. Myanmar’s tea & cake
Drinking tea and enjoying the cake is a characteristic feature of the food culture of the people in Myanmar country. Most visitors only know eating the cake with milk but the combination of the Myanmar’s tea & cake is totally new to them. You can not imagine how delicious it is. You have to try directly at the restaurant and feel the delicious taste of each tea leaves, each piece of cake. The tea shop in Myanmar is not only a place to enjoy sweet tea milk. Visitors also can enjoy both traditional rice and noodles of Myanmar here. In addition, this is the place that always organize cooking courses and serve traditional dishes. The Myanmar tea shop will be a great place for visitors to learn about Myanmar traditional life and culture.
Don’t forget to enjoy tea, cake in Myanmar
6. Street Fried Food
Burmese have a special passion for greasy food, so fried food of all sizes and shapes are the most popular food on the streets of Myanmar. They are available everywhere in the streets, can be found in small shops or big restaurants with the cheap price. Fried bread, fried nem, donuts are delicious, crunchy. Myanmar people often eat them with tamarinds. The sour cream mixed into the fried cake makes the feeling that’s difficult to describe.
The delicious and different taste is what visitors feel about the cuisine of Myanmar country. Once you travel to this land, do not forget to try the above mentioned dishes and feel them!
