and religion are the fundamental elements of Myanmar life.
Arakan, now known as Rahkine, is a flat strip of land facing the Bay of Bengal on the west coast of Myanmar, sharing its northern border with Bangladesh. The people of this once proud, independent kingdom have traded with Indian merchants for centuries, and a certain amount of inter-marriage has left its mark in their skin colouring, which is darker than that of most Burmese. Although the majority of Rakhines are Buddhist, there is a sizable population of Muslims of Bengali descent who work as fishermen (something no devout Buddhist would do as it means taking life). Islam prohibits the eating of pork, and the cuisine of Arakan's Muslims is perhaps closer to that of neighbouring Bangladesh than to other areas of Myanmar.
Tuna, sardines, grouper, sharks, stingrays, oysters, mussels, prawns, shrimp, soft-shelled crab, sea cucumbers and even jellyfish, processed into think gelatinous slices, are harvested from this coastal strip, famous for its extensive beaches such as Ngapali, named after the well-known resort city of Naples. Touted as an aphrodisiac, the heart of sea urchins served chilled on squares of cucumber is relished in Ngapali. The eating of saltwater fish was only accepted by the majority of people as recently as 30 years ago; prior to that they were accustomed only to the taste of freshwater fish. Loach, featherback, hilsa, barb and freshwater catfish are preferred, while large fish such as sheat-fish, giant sea perch and large river catfish are usually sold in cuts. This preference for smaller fish has its roots in the Buddhist dislike of eating large animals.
Mandalay, where the last king of Burma ruled, is the cultural heart of the fiercely hot, dry plains of central Myanmar. Irrigation has made it possible to expand agriculture from dry rice (which depended on seasonal rain for its growth) to include crops such as peanut, sorghum, sesame, corn and many types of bean and lentil. Various fermented bean or lentil sauces and pastes are used as seasonings in this region, rather than the fermented fish and shrimp products typical of the south.
A wide variety of beans and pulses feature in Burmese cuisine.
A duck farmer tends to his flock by boat on the Ayeyarwady River at Amarapura.
Not having access to fresh seafood, the people of the central plains generally eat freshwater fish, with the occasional dish of pork or beef. One famous dish from this region is known as "Pork Packets". Finely chopped, seasoned pork is steamed in a banana leaf wrapper and served with a dip of crisp fried garlic, chilli powder, vinegar, salt and sugar.
The most populated "upcountry" area of Myanmar is the Shan Plateau, a region of mountain ranges and wide fertile valleys with a mean altitude of 1,050 metres above sea level, adjoining China, Laos and Thailand. Food preferences here are influenced not only by proximity to these countries, and to a strong Chinese element in the population, but by terrain and climate. A wide variety of foods is grown here: rice, wheat, soyabeans, sugar cane, niger seed, sunflowers, maize and peanuts; and vegetables including potatoes, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, celery, aubergine, hops, kale, kholrabi, lettuce, mustard, rape, roselle, tomatoes and chayote. Fruit from the Shan Plateau and the Kachin Hills includes oranges, tangerines, quinces, damson plums, peaches, pomegranates, persimmons, pears and strawberries. In Myanmar generally, the indigenous tropical and temperate flora has been supplemented by exotics such as the pineapple, tomato, chilli, tobacco, grapefruit, apple, loquat, lychee, sapodilla, sweetsop, soursop and rambutan.
Fish seldom features on local menus, unless it is dried fish or unless one happens to be in the region of Inle Lake, where freshwater fish is caught. There is a famous composite dish from this area called Kneaded Shan Rice which is based on rice mixed with cooked freshwater fish, onion and seasonings, pressed into shape and decorated with fried chilli, spring onions, and pieces of crisp, deep-fried buffalo skin.
The Shan are known for their love of pork, and also eat more beef than most other people in Myanmar. However, in Myanmar's more impoverished mountainous regions, all kinds of esoteric items such as ants, grasshoppers, dragonflies and insect larvae are eaten. The Shan and other tribes living in mountainous regions are more likely to use a wide range of wild greens gathered from shrubs and forests rather than vegetables cultivated in fields.
Soups from this region are more likely to be based on beef or pork stock than made with fish or dried prawns. The soups are not as clear as those found elsewhere in Myanmar, as they are often thickened with powdered soyabean. One example of this is the Shan version of Burmese noodles (kyaukswe), which is based on pork in a soup thickened with powdered soyabean, rather than made with chicken and coconut milk as in the rest of the country.
The hill rice grown on the Shan Plateau and in other upcountry regions is renowned for its variety and flavour, and unlike the rice of the central and lower regions, depends on seasonal rain rather than irrigation. Glutinous rice, however, is the preferred staple in much of the Shan country, as it is in neighbouring Laos and northeast Thailand.
All kinds of beans and lentils are grown in the Shan Plateau. They are not only eaten whole for protein, but are also fermented to make a seasoning paste, similar to the sauce made from lentils in central Myanmar.
Such products replace the fish-based seasonings, such as ngapi, or fermented pressed fish and dried prawns, which are found in the lowland coastal areas and delta region. The Shan tribes also make a fermented soya bean product similar to the Indonesian tempe, which is often dried, pounded and used as a seasoning.
A farmer winnows paddy in the Shan Plateau Rice is the staple crop in Myanmar.
Given this wealth of food products, it is not surprising that there were times in Myanmar's history when the king could demand and receive three hundred different dishes for every meal. This extravagant practice was ended in the 19th century by the pious King Mindon, patron of Buddhism's Fifth Great Council, who reduced the number of dishes to a modest one hundred. However, with the dismantling of the centrally planned socialist economy—resulting in the mushrooming of private agribusinesses, livestock farms and seafood farms-supermarkets in Myanmar will soon be displaying products far more varied than ever could have been imagined by the royal chefs of old.
Savoury coconut rice, a Mon dish of yellow rice topped with catfish, and Fried Rice with Peas are just three examples of rice dishes served in Myanmar.
A Complex Culinary Mosaic
Poised between India, China and Southeast Asia, Myanmar has developed its own unique cuisine.
By Wendy Hutton
Surrounded by India and Bangladesh to the northwest, China to the northeast, and Laos and Thailand to the southeast, Myanmar has inevitably been influenced by the culture and cuisine of its neighbours. Yet despite the proximity of these countries, as well as large-scale migration of Indians and Chinese during the British colonial period, the cuisine of Myanmar offers a unique range of dishes which deserves to be more widely known.
China has had a marked impact on the food of Southeast Asia, including that of Myanmar. This is especially true in terms of ingredients, which have now been thoroughly absorbed into the local cuisine. Noodles made from wheat, rice and mung peas are perhaps the most noticeable legacy of China. In Myanmar, these are found in noodle soups like mohinga, a spicy, fish-based dish with sliced banana heart that is virtually the national dish, Another widely available dish is chicken in spicy coconut gravy, ohn-no kyaukswe, which includes either wheat, rice or mung pea ("transparent") noodles.
