lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

330EATING IN MYANMAR (BURMA) A BURMESE MEALAn Introduction toMyanmar Cuisine(2004) by MaThanegi is an excellentsource ofMyanmar recipes,both sweet andsavoury.Shàn k’auq-swèh (Shan-style noodle soup), thin rice noodles in a lightbroth with chunks of chilli-marinated chicken or pork, is a favourite allover Myanmar, but is most common in Mandalay and Shan State. A variationpopular in Mandalay, called myi shay, is made with rice noodlesand is often served with pork. Another Shan dish worth seeking out isngà t’ămìn jin, ‘kneaded fish rice’, a turmeric-tinged rice dish. Both ofthese dishes and more are available at Yangon Shan restaurants 999Shan Noodle Shop (p 58 ) and Inlay Amathaya (p 62 ).Mon cuisine, most readily available in towns stretching from Bago toMawlamyine, is very similar to Burmese food, with a greater emphasison curry selections. While a Burmese restaurant might offer a choice offour or five curries, a Mon restaurant will have as many as a dozen, allA TASTE OF HOME: TIN CHO CHAWIt was my husband’s first trip to Myanmar, and I was eager to show Chris my country ofbirth and the much-loved food of my childhood. One dish I particularly wanted to sharewas let thoke, which can be translated as ‘hand-mixed’. It can roughly be described as asalad 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. Ihave made let thoke for my husband many times at home, but this was the first time hehad the chance to taste let thoke sone. Sone means an assortment or variety, and is adish you assemble yourself, with all the ingredients laid out on the table. As the namesuggests, it is mixed and eaten with your hands.We arrived at my cousin’s house early to help with the preparations, but all the ingredientswere already sliced, chopped and cooked. Concerned that my husband would beuncomfortable sitting on the floor, my cousin started to move a large table toward thekitchen, but we assured her we were used to sitting on the floor. We washed our handsand sat down on a bamboo mat. Chris gave me a look that asked, Are we eating on ourown again? I reminded him that as guests, we ate first and my cousin’s family would eatafterwards, so we must leave enough. Eating while our hosts watched was an unnervingexperience for Chris. He felt he was being rude eating first, but I explained that, as goodhosts, this was their way.My cousins kept saying ‘Please eat, don’t be polite’, so I started and took a smallamount of each ingredient: rice mixed with chilli oil, flat rice noodles, vermicelli, eggnoodles, 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 thinlysliced white cabbage and chopped coriander. The cabbage gave the dish a crunchytexture while the coriander added freshness to an otherwise carbohydrate-heavy meal.Next came the seasonings: a teaspoon of pounded dried shrimp and a spoonful ofroasted chickpea powder. The powder helps emulsify the dressing, which is comprisedof oil infused with fried onion, tamarind liquid, a squeeze of lemon juice and a generousdash of fish sauce. Finally I cautiously added some crushed roasted chillies, and to theamusement of my cousin, Chris heaped a generous amount on his plate.Once all the ingredients were assembled, I used the fingertips of my right hand to mixand toss, mashing the potatoes, making sure all the ingredients were combined. A quicktaste and I added a little more lemon before being satisfied. Chris spent the next fiveminutes adding small amounts of fish sauce, lemon and tamarind. He felt it did not tastethe same as mine and I told him that’s the fun of making let thoke: each person adjuststhe flavours 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 flavours 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 alsoreminded 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)