Burmese Cuisine

Burmese dishes look very simple but are very unique, mixing Chinese and Indian tastes. Burmese cuisine is also very diverse because of the different ethnicities in the country.

Did you know that there are more than 130 officially recognised ethnicities? Just imagine how many variations of dishes are there!

Treat your taste buds during your trip to Myanmar. From street food restaurants to high-end restaurants, taste various dishes:

• Like in other countries in Asia, in Myanmar, rice is included in every meal.
• The famous curry mixes the taste of ginger, turmeric, garlic, onions and chilli. You can pick fish, prawns, chicken or sheep one. This dish is typical for Burmese cuisine and is served with a colourful stock and vegetables.
• To bring out the tastes out of the dishes, Burmese people also use shrimps paste and fermented and dried fish.
• Burmese original salads are a mix of vegetables, fruits, peanuts, coconut served with small fried shrimps or marinated and spicy chicken.
• Numerous raw or steamed vegetables are also a part of Burmese cuisine. You can snack on beans, aubergines, or tomato salads.  
• Soups are also very common in Myanmar, such as soups made of lentils, squash, turnips and bamboo shoots.

PS: Do not be surprised by the order of service of the dishes, it is common for all Asian countries to serve the dishes at the same time.

PS2: Forks and spoons are used but Burmese people usually eat with their fingers.  

PS3: Fancy a drink? Tea is a national drink.
Fancy something stronger? Beer is becoming more and more popular and you can find local as well as imported brands.

If you are getting lost with all of the Burmese dishes, and you do not know what to try, here is our top 5 faves:

1. Mohinga (Burmese fish noodle soup): Rice noodles served in a nice herbal-based broth, often supplemented with the crunchy pith of the banana tree. Try it for breakfast like local do!
2. Mandalay Mee Shay (Rice noodles with meat sauce): Do not be shy and try Mee Shay, a dish popular in Mandalay, the capital of Burma. Different food stall, different topping.
3. Curry (Usually a chicken one): You can accompany it with a chapati, which is a flatbread common for Indian continent.
4. Khow Suey (Curry noodle dish): Rice or egg noodles with masala and herbs, and curried beef or chicken with coconut milk. Yummy, right?
5. Burmese salads: Jam-packed with flavor and vitamins, Burmese salads contain pickled tea leaves, onions, sliced greens, spicy chilies, tomatoes, cilantro, peanuts, lime juice, roasted soybeans and we can go on and on.

Curious to try ’em all? Contact us in order to plan your trip to amazing Myanmar!