Soup is almost always served during the course of a meal and helps wash down the rice. It may be a hingga, meaning hot peppery soup, or a hincho, a slightly milder concoction. The soup is usually a clear broth with leaves, buds or slices of fruit. On more formal occasions, a thicker broth of fish and vegetables is served with rice noodles. Vegetable and fruit salads are very popular. Some of the heavier salads, such as a rice-based "salad," can be eaten either as snacks between meals or as meals in themselves.
No meal would be considered complete without the condiment ngapi, or to use its full name, ngapi-seinsa: fish, or sometimes shrimp, boiled and garnished with crushed garlic, toasted dried chilies and chili powder.
After a meal, fruits such as banana, mango, pomelo, and durian are usually eaten in lieu of cooked desserts, which tend to be eaten as snacks throughout the day. As a special treat, lephet, or fermented tea leaf salad, might be served. The main ingredient of this unusual salad is fermented tea leaves; these are then mixed with, or accompanied by, peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, fried garlic, coconut, and ginger slices, and so on. Though it may seem unusual to serve a savory dish after the main meal, this is when lephet is often eaten; though you may find it served as a first course in Burmese restaurants in the West.
SUGGESTED MENUS
Family meals
For a simple yet satisfying family meal, try serving with steamed white rice and a Fish Sauce Dip (page 29):
• Rice Noodles in Fish Soup (page 27);
• Hand-tossed Salad (page 26);
• Catfish in Tamarind Sauce (page 28);
• Fresh fruits such as mango or papaya,
Dinner parties
For a fun Burmese-style dinner party, serve:
• Pumpkin Soup with Basil (page 26),
• Grilled Eggplant Salad (page 26);
• Burmese Crab Curry (page 28);
• Pork and Mango Curry (page 28).
• Sesame-topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (page 29).
Finger food
The following snacks and appetizers may be eaten throughout the day, even as desserts:
• Fermented Tea Leaf Salad (page 26), which is also served after a meal in Burma;
• Transparent Savory Rice Pancakes (page 29).
A melting pot menu
Enjoy a culinary tour of Asia at your dining table with:
• Shrimp Mousse on Sugar Cane (page 177) from Vietnam as an appetizer;
• Pork and Mango Curry (page 28) from Burma and Shrimps with Sweet and Sour Sauce (page 159) from Thailand with plain rice;
• Mango Jellies (page 134) from Malaysia for dessert.
THE ESSENTIAL FLAVORS OF BURMESE COOKING
Indispensable to the Myanmar pantry are garlic, ginger, and cilantro (coriander) leaves. A good supply of fresh jasmine rice is a must and glutinous rice would be useful for some dishes. Flavorings you'll need include fish sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Fresh chilies and dried chili flakes are a common addition to dishes as are dried shrimps and shrimp paste. Fermented tea leaves are easily found at all Burmese foodstores and come ready packed with all the extras making for a great, instant Burmese snack.
While Burma has long been renowned for its natural beauty, its culinary treasures have remained a well-kept secret until recently. The country has absorbed the culinary influences of its neighbors to make its food even more unique.
Lephet Thoke
Fermented Tea Leaf Salad
Lephet is an everyday part of Burmese social culture. Lephet is served to welcome guests to a house, as a peace offering after an argument, as a snack in front of the television, as a palate cleanser after a meal, and even as a stimulant to ward off sleep during all-night Burmese opera. Instant, packaged Lephet Thoke is now readily available from Burmese shops.
4 tablespoons lephet (fermented tea leaves)
3 cloves garlic, sliced and deep-fried till crisp
1 bird's-eye chili, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried shrimps, soaked and blended to powdery fluff
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
Traditionally, lephet is served in a lacquer container with different compartments for each ingredient. Diners then choose their ingredients and, using only the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, delicately serve themselves. Finger bowls would be provided.
Today, most Burmese combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them thoroughly as with a conventional salad.
Shwepayon Hincho
Pumpkin Soup with Basil
1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 lb 6 oz (700 g) peeled, seeded and cubed pumpkin
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped Thai basil (horapa) leaves (substitute with European basil)
Heat oil in pan and lightly saute garlic for 5 minutes till fragrant. Add pumpkin and chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes till pumpkin is tender. Transfer to a blender and process till smooth. Return the soup to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped fresh basil just before serving.
