Myanmar’s cuisine is a perfect reflection of the place itself. It draws from the country’s rich and varied resources, cultures, history, and geography. The flavors and techniques come from the nation’s over 135 different ethnic groups, as well as neighboring India, China, and Thailand. Strong flavors and fierce pride infuse every dish as they do all other aspects of life here.
Trying to get to know Myanmar without using your sense of taste would be to miss a great deal of the experience. The cuisine is not only a perfect encapsulation of the country’s character, it’s also delicious. Yet the food can be intimidating and inaccessible. Worries about hygiene, indecipherable menus (when there are any at all), strange-looking dishes, and a sense of being overwhelmed by it all can keep Myanmar travelers from experiencing the incredible food. Our brief guide on what to eat should help you get started.
Basics of Myanmar cuisine
The most common dishes in Myanmar trace their origins to one of five sources of inspiration: Shan, Mon, and Arakanese ethnic tribes in Myanmar, and Indian and Chinese external influences. There is immense regional variation in types of food as well as in single dishes. In the southern coastal areas, seafood is widely consumed, while inland areas eat more meat and poultry, as well as freshwater fish.
Rice is the staple starch across the country and Myanmar is famous for its fragrant white rice. Glutinous rice is also eaten, as are corn, millet, cassava, potatoes, and a number of Indian influenced flatbreads. Rice noodles are widely used, including in some of the country’s most famous dishes.
Myanmar’s national dish
Whether you’re a luxury traveler in Myanmar staying in five-star accommodation, or traveling on a budget sleeping in guesthouses, you absolutely must try mohinga, the national dish. Mohinga is a simple dish typically eaten for breakfast but served throughout the day. Rice vermicelli noodles are added to a light fish broth and served with any combination of fried onions, cilantro (coriander leaves), ginger, lemongrass, banana blossom, green onion, dried chilis, a squirt of lime, pieces of fish, chickpea fritters, boiled egg, and fish cake.
You’ll find mohinga all over the country, served in any number of ways. It may be ladled out of a pot carried on a bamboo pole slung over a roaming vendor’s shoulder, peddled around on a trishaw, or served up from a small storefront. Increasingly, it can be found in clean, modern cafes where air conditioning and a less-fishy taste make it more accessible to most travelers. Even if you’re not crazy about fish, you may very well still love this dish. It’s got great complexity of flavor, and is an absolute must-try on your visit to Myanmar.
The famous tea leaf salad
One of the best-traveled dishes of Myanmar cuisine is lahpet thohk, a salad made with pickled tea leaves. It is originally from Shan State in Northeastern Myanmar, and can be found anywhere in the world where Myanmar people live, including LA where it’s the latest rage among the foodie set. There’s a good reason for it too, lahpet thohk is delicious. The tea leaves are mixed with fried peas, garlic, peanuts, sesame, tomato, chili, dried shrimp, and pickled ginger, and dressed with fish sauce, lime, and peanut oil. Like mohinga, hotels and restaurants catering to tourists and wealthy locals will serve delicious yet accessible versions of lahpet thohk. There are a number of other salads as well that are worth trying if you get the chance.
Indian-inspired dishes
Myanmar has always had close trade and economic links to India and a large population of people of Indian and Nepalese descent. The British managed Burma as a part of their Indian colony and brought in many more Indians as soldiers, laborers, and administrators, though most left or were expelled during decolonization. This sometimes-tragic history is marked today by the delicious cuisine that can be found all around Myanmar. It’s most likely that travelers to Myanmar have more experience with Indian food than with Burmese, so it’s a great place to start your exploration of the country’s culinary scene.
A lot of dishes will look familiar to lovers of Indian food. Naan, daal, chapati, dosa, samosa, pakora, chutney, biryani, and Indian-type curries are all ubiquitous in many parts of the country. Stumble into the right restaurant and you’ll find sectioned metal plates constantly refilled with all-you-can eat rice, one or two curries, and a daal, all accompanied by various side dishes. You may see Indian features in the faces of some of the people there, but everyone in Myanmar eats this food, and it has adapted enough that much of it should be considered Myanmar food at this point.
Just the start
In such a diverse country, it’s impossible to try everything even in a lifetime. With a short visit, you can only scratch the surface. It can feel overwhelming, and like you’re missing out on so much, and in a way you are. But scratching the surface is more than most people will do, and will expose you to a whole new sensual experience during a visit to Myanmar. Start with our suggestions, be brave, try new things, and you’ll surely be rewarded. Myanmar has a rich culinary history and tradition, be brave and try some!