Burmese Eats

Owing to the geographic location of then called Burma to what is now Myanmar, Burmese cuisine has been influenced by Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine and Thai cuisine. And it is not hard to preview and experience Burmese food during trips to Cambodia or Thailand. Burmese foundation of flavor lies on  it’s common mixture of shallot oil, alliums, turmeric, cayenne and fish sauce. If it's your first time to try, it's better to have someone to share with for Burmese food is usually heavy.

That day was scorching hot and me and my friend were experiencing a pricking brain numbing headache. After our siesta time at the hotel, we decided to have our late lunch outside and we found a hotel nearby with a small quaint resto offering Mandalay menu. It was a lazy afternoon and my first thought of order was coffee. If my memory serves me right, I think I ordered Mandalay coffee as shown above. The sugar container looked so artistically old fashioned, and looked slightly the same as my father's wood craft designs.

Whenever I get headache, I drink coffee and become normal again as if cured by the magical shot of caffeine. But this coffee, swirled my aching brain cells all the more, the coffee has got mixture of spices- I don't know what exactly. And the taste was somewhat pungent like rust, I felt like the air was not moving at all.

 Meat and poultry are more commonly used in landlocked cities like Mandalay, though some avoid beef and pork due to Hindu and Buddhist influences. I ordered a bright and fragrant fried rice with chicken and seafood. It looked small on the picture but it actually was platter good for sharing.

 Beside our table was a reclining Buddha

 Picture frames on the wall show an image of Siddharta Gautama with his hands gracefully raised preaching under the tree, another one is Hanuman, the monkey who is worshipped as a god in some parts of India, and a Krishna art where Durga the six armed woman is shown riding a tiger representing her power and invincibility.

Inayana and Mahayana Buddhism are two distinct codes strongest in Asia. Visitors cannot fail to be impressed by sculptures and displays of Buddhist deities.

The other rice we ordered was a yellow rice with meat, green peas and vegetables. The taste was tangy due to the strong taste of turmeric. We also ordered battered pork and battered beef which were a little boring at first but gradually becomes tasty with every bite.

A popular Burmese rhyme sums up the traditional favourites: "A thee ma, thayet; a thar ma, wet; a ywet ma, lahpet" translated as "Of all the fruit, the mango's the best; of all the meat, the pork's the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet's the best".