The Delicious Cuisine of Myanmar
Burmese cuisine is one of the reasons you absolutely must visit Myanmar. With its blend of influences and flavors, Burmese cooking is a true delight...
Burmese cuisine is one of the reasons why you absolutely must visit Myanmar. With its mix of influences and flavors, Burmese cooking is a true delight and a complete change of scenery in itself. This small guide to Burmese cuisine will make you hungry...and eager to travel !
A Fragrant Cuisine
A beautiful blend of flavors and colors, Myanmar's cuisine is highly aromatic and stands as one of the best parts of your journey ! Influenced by different local ethnic groups, as well as by great neighbors, colonization, and globalization, Burmese cooking takes tastes from here and there to offer perfectly spiced dishes.
In Myanmar, people eat plenty of vegetables, seafood and fish, but little beef as cattle are work companions. Most dishes are spiced, sometimes very spiced, with turmeric, ginger, garlic...
Meals are generally accompanied by green tea, sometimes by Burmese tea (with condensed milk).
A Few Typical Dishes
During your trip to Birmanie, you'll have the chance to taste delicious local dishes that you'll surely miss when you return home... There's nothing quite like homestays to enjoy home cooking and, why not, learn to make these dishes yourself :
The Burmese Buffet
A traditional dish at Myanmar restaurants, the Burmese buffet is a real treat ! The main dish of the buffet is meat or fish curry, cooked with turmeric, ginger, onions, garlic, oil, and usually fish paste (ngapi). But this delight doesn't come alone : it's served with many side dishes – fried vegetables, salads, rice, soups... Enough to fill the table with all the flavors of Birmanie !
Laphet Toke
A surprising traditional dish from Myanmar, laphet toke is a delicious salad made with tea leaves. Birmanie is the only country in Asia that continues to eat tea, and it's a true delight ! This salad is made with tea leaves, shrimp, fried garlic, sesame, peanuts and tomatoes : a beautiful spectrum of aromas for our palate !
Mohinga
The most widespread national dish, mohinga is a traditional Burmese soup that is eaten very often at breakfast. Thick, this soup is similar to a curry. It is made with fish, rice noodles, peas, eggs, and rice powder, all in the same spices used for curry and lemongrass.
Shan Noodles
A simple and traditional dish from Shan state, rice noodles are served in vegetable broth, with meat, garlic and sesame or peanuts. This Chinese-influenced dish can also be served as a salad.
Frequently asked questions
Among the must-try Burmese cuisine highlights, you'll find mohinga (fish and rice noodle soup), laphet toke (tea leaf salad), the Burmese buffet with its curries and side dishes, and Shan noodles served in broth or as a salad.
Burmese cuisine is generally spicy, with generous use of turmeric, ginger and garlic. The level of spice varies depending on the dishes and regions, but most local dishes are well-seasoned. Don't hesitate to ask for 'less spicy' if you're sensitive.
Laphet toke is a traditional Burmese salad made with fermented tea leaves, unique in Asia. It's garnished with shrimp, fried garlic, sesame, peanuts and tomatoes. It's an emblematic dish of Birmanie, served as both an appetizer and a snack.
It is possible to eat vegetarian in Myanmar, particularly thanks to the many vegetable-based dishes, rice and tofu. However, many curries and soups contain fish paste (ngapi), so it's important to mention this when ordering.
Mohinga is considered the national dish of Myanmar. It's a thick soup made with fish, rice noodles, peas, eggs and rice powder, seasoned with spices and lemongrass. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast and sold everywhere on Burmese streets.
Frequently asked questions
Among the must-try Burmese cuisine highlights, you'll find mohinga (fish and rice noodle soup), laphet toke (tea leaf salad), the Burmese buffet with its curries and side dishes, and Shan noodles served in broth or as a salad.
Burmese cuisine is generally spicy, with generous use of turmeric, ginger and garlic. The level of spice varies depending on the dishes and regions, but most local dishes are well-seasoned. Don't hesitate to ask for 'less spicy' if you're sensitive.
Laphet toke is a traditional Burmese salad made with fermented tea leaves, unique in Asia. It's garnished with shrimp, fried garlic, sesame, peanuts and tomatoes. It's an emblematic dish of Birmanie, served as both an appetizer and a snack.
It is possible to eat vegetarian in Myanmar, particularly thanks to the many vegetable-based dishes, rice and tofu. However, many curries and soups contain fish paste (ngapi), so it's important to mention this when ordering.
Mohinga is considered the national dish of Myanmar. It's a thick soup made with fish, rice noodles, peas, eggs and rice powder, seasoned with spices and lemongrass. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast and sold everywhere on Burmese streets.
