6 traditional Burmese food you must-try when visiting Myanmar

Myanmar cuisine has been recognized to be highly inspired by nations like China, India, and Thailand, as well as the culinary cultures of various ethnic minorities. However, you can still sense the country’s distinct flavor in its cuisine. Here are six meals that you should never pass up when visiting Myanmar:

1. Lephet thoke (green tea leaf salad)

When it comes to Myanmar cuisine – the land of golden pagodas – Lephet (fermented green tea) is always at the top of the list of must-try dishes. This meal is made with Lephet, tomato, cabbage, roasted peanuts, and additional ingredients such as garlic and chili.

2. Nga htamin (fish rice)

Cooked rice with fresh turmeric is topped with a coating of freshwater fish and garlic oil in this unique meal. Fish Rice is typically served with leek roots, deep-fried pig rinds, and raw garlic cloves. Its oily and savory flavor creates a snack that ranges from pungent to spicy.

3. Curry meal

Curry is the typical food for the inhabitants, with curry as the main component. A meaty and oily curry with pig, shrimp, fish, mutton, or beef will be served with a variety of side dishes.

Rice, fried vegetables, a tart salad, soup, fresh and par-boiled veggies, and herbs will be served. This meal is particularly notable for its many dips, which range from ngapi ye (a watery and fishy sauce) to balachaung (a dry, spicy mixture of chillies, garlic and dried shrimp fried in oil).

4. Moun, bein moun, moun pyit thalet (sweet snacks)

Locals consume these sweets as snacks for morning or afternoon tea, rather than as dessert. Moun, unlike other sugary treats, is prepared with sweet taste from shredded coconut, coconut milk, tapioca, fruit, or cooked sticky rice.

These sweets include Has nwin ma kin – small cakes of crumbly semolina flour with coconut
milk, raisins, and ghee.

5. Hto-hpu new (warm tofu)

This meal is made with chickpeas produced in Myanmmar rather than tofu. It’s a thick porridge prepared with chickpea flour and drizzled with chilli oil. Hto-hpu nwe is frequently served with pickled vegetables and broth, as well as pieces of chicken or pig.

6. Nangyi thoke

Burmese people adore dry noodle meals, particularly noodle-based salads served with broth. And the best and most popular of these meals is nangyi thoke. The meal consists of thick and spherical rice noodles topped with chicken, thin slices of fish, parboiled bean sprouts, and hard-boiled egg pieces.