Myanmar Food
Laphet (Fermented Tea Leaf Salad)
Laphet, is a dish made from tea leaves. The tea leaves are preserved in oil, and when eaten, they are flavored with sour ingredients like tomatoes and limes, then seasoned with salt, dried shrimp, and various kinds of beans. It is a dessert often eaten after meals by people in Myanmar.
Characteristics of Myanmar Cuisine
Most dishes use ingredients such as onions, garlic, ginger, and chili, and with fish-based sauces used for seasoning. Myanmar cuisine differs from Indian cuisine in that it uses fewer powdered spices, and unlike Thai cuisine, coconut milk is not widely used.
A typical Myanmar meal is thoughtfully arranged to include three essential flavor profiles in dedicated dishes: sour (a-chin), spicy (a-sat), and salty (a-gan). In Myanmar, fish primarily refers to freshwater varieties, and seafood is rarely eaten except by those living along the coast.
Myanmar Cuisine
Myanmar cuisine includes a wide variety of foods, many of which utilize rice as the main ingredient. The daily diet consists of three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is generally focused on rice or wheat-based savory dishes and snacks:
- Mohinga:Rice noodles in a rich fish-based broth (often described as a fish curry noodle soup). It is the most popular dish among the Myanmar people.
- Ohn No Khauk Swè:Noodles served in a creamy, mild chicken soup made with coconut milk..
- Naan bya:Flatbread often served with curries.
- Shan-style rice:Steamed rice typically served with toppings.
- E Char Kway, Parata, Htattaya: Wheat-based fried snacks and flatbreads.
- Khaung Nyin Paung: Steamed glutinous rice (a type of sticky rice).
These are typically accompanied by beverages such as tea, sweet milk tea, or coffee.
Note: In urban areas, Western-style breakfasts are becoming popular, featuring bread, cakes, cookies, biscuits, along with cheese, butter, and jam.
Lunch & Dinner:
Lunch and dinner are centered around rice and a selection of accompanying dishes. Diners first choose one main curry dish from meat (pork, beef, or mutton), chicken, or fish. This is then complemented by several other side dishes, which usually include:
A selection of the following side dishes:
- Salads(e.g., tomato salad, lime salad)
- Soup(made with beans, vegetables, or fish)
- Balachaung(a crispy fried seasoning mix)
- Ngapi(fermented fish or shrimp paste) served with fresh vegetables (cucumber, eggplant, bean leaves, lime leaves, etc.)
- Stir-fried vegetables
The above is a typical represents a traditional Myanmar meal, but sometime Chinese dishes are also commonly incorporated. Seasoning is generally light, as the main curry is rich.. Essential ingredients in Myanmar cuisine cooking include garlic, onion, ginger, fish paste, salt, sugar, oil, and chili powder, which are simmered in water until the liquid evaporates. Ingredients like potatoes, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and other vegetables may also be added.
Dessert & Conclusion:
Dessert consists of seasonal fruits (mango, papaya, pomelo, pineapple, watermelon, melon, bananas) and traditional items like Laphet Thoke (fermented tea leaves salad), nuts, and jaggery (palm sugar). The meal typically concludes with a cup of tea.
The average Myanmar people traditionally eats rice and side dishes with their hands at home, while using a spoon for the soup.
