EATING IN MYANMAR (BURMA)
A BURMESE MEAL
330
Shàn k’auq-swèhh (Shan-style noodle soup), thin rice noodles in a light
broth with chunks of chilli-marinated chicken or pork, is a favourite all
over Myanmar, but is most common in Mandalay and Shan State. A vari-
ation popular in Mandalay, called myi shay, is made with rice noodles
and is often served with pork. Another Shan dish worth seeking out is
ngàt’ămìnjin, ‘‘‘kneaded fi sh rice’, a turmeric-tinged rice dish. Both of
these dishes and more are available at Yangon Shan restaurants 999
Shan Noodle Shop (p 58 ) and Inlay Amathaya (p 62 ).
Mon cuisine, most readily available in towns stretching from Bago to
Mawlamyine, is very similar to Burmese food, with a greater emphasis
on curry selections. While a Burmese restaurant might off er a choice of
four or fi ve curries, a Mon restaurant will have as many as a dozen, allA TASTE OF HOME: TIN CHO CHAWIt was my husband’s fi rst trip to Myanmar, and I was eager to show Chris my country of
birth and the much-loved food of my childhood. One dish I particularly wanted to share
was let thoke, which can be translated as ‘hand-mixed’. It can roughly be described as a
salad because all the ingredients are tossed in a dressing, but unlike salads in the West,
it is hearty and substantial.
So when my cousin asked what we wanted to eat, naturally, I suggested let thoke. I
have made let thoke for my husband many times at home, but this was the fi rst time he
had the chance to taste let thoke sone. Sone means an assortment or variety, and is a
dish you assemble yourself, with all the ingredients laid out on the table. As the name
suggests, it is mixed and eaten with your hands.
We arrived at my cousin’s house early to help with the preparations, but all the ingre-
dients were already sliced, chopped and cooked. Concerned that my husband would be
uncomfortable sitting on the fl oor, my cousin started to move a large table toward the
kitchen, but we assured her we were used to sitting on the fl oor. We washed our hands
and sat down on a bamboo mat. Chris gave me a look that asked, Are we eating on our
own again? I reminded him that as guests, we ate fi rst and my cousin’s family would eat
afterwards, so we must leave enough. Eating while our hosts watched was an unnerving
experience for Chris. He felt he was being rude eating fi rst, but I explained that, as good
hosts, this was their way.
My cousins kept saying ‘Please eat, don’t be polite’, so I started and took a small
amount of each ingredient: rice mixed with chilli oil, fl at rice noodles, vermicelli, egg
noodles, mung-bean noodles mixed with turmeric oil, boiled sliced potatoes, Shan tofu,
deep-fried tofu, fried garlic and fried onions. These I mixed with a small handful of thinly
sliced white cabbage and chopped coriander. The cabbage gave the dish a crunchy
texture while the coriander added freshness to an otherwise carbohydrate-heavy meal.
Next came the seasonings: a teaspoon of pounded dried shrimp and a spoonful of
roasted chickpea powder. The powder helps emulsify the dressing, which is comprised
of oil infused with fried onion, tamarind liquid, a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous
dash of fi sh sauce. Finally I cautiously added some crushed roasted chillies, and to the
amusement of my cousin, Chris heaped a generous amount on his plate.
Once all the ingredients were assembled, I used the fi ngertips of my right hand to mix
and toss, mashing the potatoes, making sure all the ingredients were combined. A quick
taste and I added a little more lemon before being satisfi ed. Chris spent the next fi ve
minutes adding small amounts of fi sh sauce, lemon and tamarind. He felt it did not taste
the same as mine and I told him that’s the fun of making let thoke: each person adjusts
the fl avours according to his or her own personal taste.
Of all our food experiences in Myanmar, let thoke was the most memorable. For Chris,
let thoke summed up the fl avours of Burmese food: a balance of salty, sour and spicy.
For me, the taste evoked memories of the food I ate while growing up in Yangon. It also
reminded me that food always tastes better when mixed with your hands.
Tin Cho Chaw is the author of hsa*ba, a Burmese cookbook and website (www.hsaba.com)An Introduction to
Myanmar Cuisine
(2004) by Ma
Thanegi is an ex-
cellent source of
Myanmar recipes,
both sweet and
savoury.