According to James, the Average Yangon Resident Snacks Around Six
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FOOD and has a tangy sour freshness from lemongrass. roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, ginger shines through in a heaped bowl of malar hin. Observing our fellow diners, I realise mohinga must and garlic. Topped with dried shrimp and This Burmese fusion of vegetables and polenta- be the country’s most customised dish. Boiled accompanied by a side dish of chilli and garlic like fried tofu made from chickpeas is more eggs, tofu and dollops of pungent fish paste are for extra zing, it’s easily the best lahpet thoke tasty evidence of the culinary waves washing all popular additions, while other diners squatting of my previous two weeks’ travel. Minutes over this country. on tiny plastic chairs dip Indian-style chickpea later, a follow-up plate of min kwa yuet thoke Nothing douses the heat of Sichuan wafers or plump Chinese doughnuts into their (pennywort salad) appears, with the fresh peppercorns like ice-cold beer, and thankfully bowls. What’s not negotiable is the local custom young leaves enlivened by lime juice, garlic the tour’s last stop is amid the beer stations of supping lazily on a second serving of broth at and turmeric. According to James, the average and barbecues of Chinatown’s 19th Street. the end of the meal. Yangon resident snacks around six times Dusk has fallen and simple charcoal grills There’s more cross-border influence at King a day – unsurprising given the treats lurking shimmer in the neon half-light of laid-back Shan Noodles. Spinning ceiling fans cool this on street corners. bars and restaurants. Fresh seafood is combination of tea house and mobile phone From downtown Yangon, a belching taxi takes abundant and, tucking into an expertly shop, and a younger crowd is crammed in for us east along the riverfront past Asia’s finest grilled tilapia fish and a few Myanmar beers, dishes from Myanmar’s eastern Shan State, the array of British colonial buildings to Chinatown. I know it’s the perfect time to be in Asia’s rugged area bordering Laos and Thailand. The Red brick grandeur and dramatic flourishes of most interesting emerging destination for simple but delicious house specialty of sticky rice turrets and spires hint at a time when Rangoon travelling foodies. noodles (shan kauk sweh, also known as Burmese was one of the most important cities of British EPARATED FROM SULE PAGODA BY PICKLED TEA LEAF SALAD the chaos of Yangon’s downtown According to James, the average Yangon Srush hour, I’m in the shadow of the whitewashed Emmanuel Baptist Church. resident snacks around six times a day – unsurprising Colourful mosques are momentarily revealed by passing buses, and a nearby Hindu temple and given the treats lurking on street corners. synagogue also tell the history of the Burmese city formerly known as Rangoon. In 2015, spaghetti) daubed with peanuts, sesame and chilli India, but many of the structures are now Burma is now Myanmar, but the heritage of oil hails from further north on the border of China’s subsumed in a cloak of tropical decay. There the nation bordering five other countries Yunnan province. Outside I’m pleasantly ambushed seems to be a little investment in restoration, remains deliciously evident in its food. by a stallholder selling Tamil-style dosas (savoury but new office towers and apartments suggest Around the streets of Yangon, Myanmar’s pancakes) and tiny quail egg hoppers topped with heritage protection is not highly regarded by history as a colonial province of British India chopped spring onions and lentils. some developers. mixes with zingy Chinese, Lao and Thai flavours Tea leaf salad (lahpet thoke) is uniquely local Around Chinatown the roads narrow, languid that have filtered through mountainous borders and, like mohinga, is another dish that’s at its best river breezes struggle to infiltrate Yangon’s SERVES 4 ( to the east. The extra spicy cuisine of Myanmar’s when created for the individual diner. We decide wider avenues, and we’re soon back eating LAHPET THOKE western Rakhine State definitely owes a fiery debt to trust the chef, and a whirlwind vendor combines more Shan food at Shwe Shan Lay. This time, INGREDIENTS to nearby Bangladesh. From the Bamar people of pickled tea leaves, tomato, cabbage, fried peas, the chilli and peppery hit of Sichuan food 2 tbs lime juice central Myanmar come unique salads harnessing 2 tbs fish sauce local ingredients and curries that are more mild 40g sesame seeds than in nearby India, Sri Lanka or Thailand. 4 tbs peanut oil First up on tonight’s street food adventure with 8g fresh chilli, finely chopped Yangon Food Tours is a distinctly Indian dish. 2 tsp sugar The friendly vendor adds mint, tomato, chickpea 3 tsp salt ) powder and garam masala to a roughly chopped 80g pickled tea leaves (available at vegetarian samosa. Drizzled with tamarind some Asian grocery stores or online) syrup, the nearly complete dish is very similar ½ can lima beans (rinsed, dried with to the humble Indian snack of samosa chaat. paper towel and dry fried) Only in Myanmar a serving of turmeric broth is 40g dried shrimp then added, and the hearty bowl morphs into 80g tomatoes, diced samusa thoke (samosa salad). 40g cabbage, thinly sliced Guide James advises we’re now off to sample 75g unsalted roasted peanuts the national dish mohinga. Ramen, laksa and pho are all global superstars for Japan, Malaysia METHOD Eating the street food of Yangon is and Vietnam, respectively, but Myanmar’s spin Prepare the dressing by combining lime on a hearty bowl of noodles deserves a similar juice, fish sauce, sesame seeds, peanut the equivalent of taking a culinary reputation. Traditionally mohinga is served at oil, chilli, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir tour of Myanmar’s heritage, breakfast, but in Yangon it’s a popular all-day until sugar and salt are dissolved. discovers Brett Atkinson. snack, and the aroma from huge vats of fish Reserve. In a large bowl, combine tea broth wafts through the late afternoon air. leaves, beans, shrimp, tomato, cabbage Catfish from the nearby Irrawaddy River are used and peanuts. Pour over the dressing and Photography by Brett and Carol Atkinson in its creation, but there’s no overt ‘fishiness’. mix well with your hands. Add more lime The complex soup, combining garlic, onions, Fresh fruit and vegetables juice to taste if necessary. A seafood barbecue stall on banana stems and ginger, is subtle and fragrant, at Bogyoke Market. Chinatown’s 19th Street. 132 get lost ISSUE 46 get in the know The starting point for many Burmese meals is rice, known as htamin. get in the know In 2005, the capital of Myanmar was moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw, 380 kilometres north. ISSUE 46 get lost 133.