Cuisine 102: More Myanmar Cuisine

Myanmar has way too many delicious dishes for one blog post. I already introduced you to a few of my favourite parts of Myanmar cuisine in Cuisine 101, but now we really get into the good stuff: mains and sweets!

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Myanmar Cuisine

Main Dishes

Curries

Curries are everywhere in Myanmar and they are amazing. You can get curry in every variety and colour. Curry was one thing I had read about before going and looked forward to trying; they did not disappoint.

Barbecue

Another aspect of Myanmar cuisine I discovered and became very found of was barbecue. I don’t mean barbecue in the sense of grilling burgers, slabs of ribs and steaks. In the tradition of Myanmar cuisine, barbecue is a fun, social eating experience that is best enjoyed with a few bottles of local beer or perhaps some rum! Myanmar barbecue is done in the style of small skewers of meat or vegetables. You choose your skewer selection and,  depending where you are dining, you will either be brought your selection once it is cooked or you will be brought a small grill, so you can cook your own meat to your satisfaction.   The meat and vegetables you grill are usually accompanied by dipping sauces. I loved grilling at my table while enjoying a cold Myanmar beer and then feasting on my perfectly cooked delights.

Shan Noodles

My all-time favourite dish in Myanmar—just thinking about it now has me longing for a bowl—is Shan noodle. Originally from the Shan State in the eastern part of Myanmar, Shan noodle (pictured above) is made up of cooked rice noodles in a little bit of broth, topped with tomato-based chicken curry, peanuts and scallions. Our local guide from the Shan State would eat Shan noodles at least once a day and it can be eaten at any meal. I had my best bowl while exploring Inle Lake. When in Myanmar, be sure to get yourself a bowl (or two)!

Sweets

Tea and Donuts

No trip to Myanmar would be complete without a stop in a local tea shop.

From a health perspective, if you’ve been sampling plenty of local, fresh juice and salads during your trip, a little tea and donuts won’t hurt! Traditional Myanmar tea is sweetened with condensed milk—it’s delicious. (I mean, how could it not be? It’s sweetened with condensed milk, which is so wrong and so right at the same time.)

In a traditional tea shop, you can wash down your local donuts (similar to fried dough) with a cup of hot, sweet tea as you sit down and watch local life go by at a delightfully slow pace. No wonder B&R loves this place!