Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating in Myanmar
(Burma)
Burmese food suffers from a bad rap - a rather unjustified bad rap in our
opinion. While it can be oily, and lacks the diversity of that of neighbouring
Thailand, with a bit of pointing in the right direction and some background
knowledge we're confident you'll return from Myanmar having savoured
some truly tasty and memorable meals.
Food is so enjoyed in Myanmar that standard greetings to friends and foreigners include
sà pyi bi la? (
have you eaten your lunch yet?) and
ba hìn ne sà le?
(what curry did you
eat?).
A Burmese Meal
T'ămìn
(rice), also written as
htamin,
is the indisputable core of any Burmese meal. Se-
cond in importance, and providing the grains with some flavour, are
hìn
, Burmese-style
curries. Those who've been burned by the spiciness of Thai food will be pleased to learn
that Burmese curries are probably the mildest in Asia. The downside is that Burmese cur-
ries are often oily, largely due to a cooking process that sees them cooked until the oil sep-
arates from all other ingredients and rises to the top. The Burmese term for this cooking
method is
s'i pyan
(oil returns), and the process ensures that the rather harsh curry paste
ingredients - typically chilli, turmeric, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions and shrimp paste -
have properly amalgamated and have become milder. Some restaurants also add extra oil
to maintain the correct top layer, as the fat also preserves the underlying food from con-
tamination by insects and airborne bacteria while the curries sit in open, unheated pots for
hours at a time.
Accompanying the curries is a unique repertoire of side dishes that blend Burmese,
Mon, Indian and Chinese influences, predominantly plant- and seafood-based ingredients,
and overwhelmingly savoury, salty and sometimes tart flavours. Indeed, one of the pleas-
ures of eating an authentic Burmese meal is the sheer variety of things to eat at a single
setting. Upon arriving at any
Myanma sà thauq sain
(Burmese restaurant), and after hav-
ing chosen a curry, a succession of sides will follow. One of these is invariably soup,
either an Indian-influenced
peh·hìn·ye
(lentil soup, or dhal), studded with chunks of veget-
ables, or a tart, leaf-based broth. A tray of fresh and par-boiled vegetables, fruits and herbs
is another obligatory side dish; they're eaten with various dips, ranging from
ngăpí ye
(a
