Food in Burma

Mohinga

A tasty bowl of mohinga

Anyone who visits Burma should never leave without tasting mohinga, a rice-noodle dish considered by many locals to be their national dish. The main ingredients of the dish include catfish, chickpea flour, banana tree stems, rice vermicelli, garlic, and onions.

There are a lot of variations of mohinga all around the country, but the original recipe was developed in southern Burma because fish is readily available there.

You will see mohinga being sold all over Burma any time of the day, but the dish is usually eaten in the morning. The dish is best consumed when topped with eggs, banana blossoms, and fritters.

Khow suey

Khow suey

Khow suey is a Burmese noodle soup with a tinge of Indian flavors. It was inspired by the dish cooked by Indians who fled to Burma during World War II.

The original khow suey is made with yellow rice noodles and curried beef, chicken, or even vegetables in coconut milk. To achieve the signature sour taste, a squeeze of lemon juice is added. Khow suey will never be khow suey if not for the original tangy coconut milk and curry broth.

Nowadays, there are a lot of khow suey variations that use different types of pastas and noodles.

The dish is sold almost anywhere. Just spot vendors fixing up bowls filled with yellow soup and rice noodles.

 

Laphet thoke

Fermented tea leaves (center) with other salad

Laphet thoke is considered the best authentic Burmese salad in the country. Laphet translates to “pickled tea,” while thoke translates to “salad.”

Interestingly, Burma is one of the few countries that drink and eat tea.

The salad’s main ingredient is pickled tea leaves, which are eaten with all types of nuts,grains, and other vegetables. Depending on the eater’s taste, a dash of fish sauce or lime is added.

During the olden times, laphet was a symbol of peace and was usually eaten and exchanged after two warring parties have settled their disputes.

 

Burmese Tofu

Burmese tofu and some potato fritters

Burmese tofu,or Shan tofu,is not made from soybeans; it is made from local chick pea flour, known as besan flour, and yellow split peas. Turmeric, salt, and water are added to the flour mixture.

The mixture is then placed onto a container and allowed to set. Shan tofu is yellowish in color, and like regular tofu, it can be eaten raw or fried.

Shwe yin aye

Shwe yin aye

Shwe yin aye, or coconut cream sherbet, is one of the tastiest snacks to eat, especially during hot days, in Burma. Coconut is always present in a lot of Burmese recipes, so it’s no surprise that it’s even included in their dessert.

Shwe yin aye literally translates to “where the golden heart is refreshed,” and eating one will definitely make you smile.

This dish is very easy to make; the ingredients are also not that expensive. To make shwe yin aye, you will need seaweed agar, sugar, grated coconut or coconut cream, sago or tapioca pearls, and crushed ice.