Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
template, usually with bungalow-style rooms with wooden floors and furniture (plus a few
Burmese artefacts for decorative effect) set among lush gardens, usually with a swimming
pool, and often a spa as well.
TOP FIVE BEACH RESORTS
FOOD AND DRINK
Sandwichedbetweengastronomicbig-hittersIndia,ThailandandChina,Burmesefood
is one of Asia's least-known cuisines. While Myanmar's food does absorb influences
from its better-known culinary neighbours, it remains unique in many respects:
BurmesecooksusefewerspicesthantheirIndiancounterparts;Thaicuisine'schilliand
coconut milk are notably absent; and pulses and beans are used with an abandon that
would be foreign to most Chinese chefs. As elsewhere in Asia, much of daily life in My-
anmarrevolvesaroundfoodandmealtimes,andthephrase“
Sa pi bi la
?”or“Haveyou
eaten?” is a common greeting.
Meals
Most Burmese people eat
breakfast
early in the morning, often stopping for a bowl of
noodles or a fried snack at a teahouse. Although many hotels in Myanmar do include break-
fast in their room rate, it's worth foregoing what is usually a fairly depressing offering of
white bread, fried eggs and instant coffee, and venturing out to a nearby market or teashop
for something tastier.
Oneofthe
EightBuddhistPrecepts
statesthatgoodBuddhistsoughttoeatonlyaftersunrise
and before noon, and
lunch
in Myanmar is consequently taken rather earlier than is common
in the West (although for all except the most devout, this precept is conveniently forgotten
around dinnertime). Most people tuck into their lunchtime noodles or curry between 11am
and 1pm. Make sure to eat your
evening meal
early too, as many restaurants will be closed
by 9pm.
A wide variety of snacks and salads fill the gaps between meals, and there's usually some
kind of deep-fried treat available if you're ever in danger of running low on calories. Cakes
and sweets are often flavoured with coconut and palm sugar and eaten between meals rather
