I recently had a wonderful interaction with a Burmese food lover over a photo I had posted on facebook of the famous Burmese Mont Lin Ma Yar. These delicious street corner snacks are a real treat, I wish I could get them on the corner downtown Vancouver, BC! She kindly translated the recipe for me from her favorite Burmese recipe site and so I am posting it here for future reference:

From the Myanmar Cupid Cookbook by Pyo Pyo May Translated by Naomi Aung. Amounts are variable, test it out to see how thick you need the mixture.

Read more ...

The people of Myanmar are truly unique, they have a very special, humor-filled and generous nature. Myanmar/Burma is also known as the Golden Land or the Land of 7 Million pagodas. This calendar has some of our best photos showing the peaceful and meditative places these amazing people have created.

BUY THIS:

Sacred Burma Calendar on zazzle.com

Read more ...

I first came across soapnuts when I was living in Myanmar/Burma in 1999. I was working at a remote hotel on the shore of the mystical Inle Lake in Shan State. My oven was made from a large barrel and was wood-fired, whenever the kitchen staff noticed me making a move to try to get the fire under the oven going myself, they would quickly send the kitchen’s expert fire-maker to take over. They had already learned the hard way that they would be completely smoked out of the kitchen if they let me attempt it myself.

The staff at the Inle Princess Resort were really a fun bunch of people, we would go to the five day farmer’s markets early in the morning and stuff ourselves with treats of fried Shan tofu and cups of sweet, strong and delicious Burmese tea, on the walk home the girls would always amaze me with their taken-for-granted knowledge of nearly every plant and it’s medicinal benefits that we passed by. They would rave to me about the wonders of the traditional Burmese shampoo. The next time we were at the market they showed me bags hanging from strings full of a yellowish liquid with these soapnuts, tamarind pods and various other herbs in them. I gave it a try and was soon a convert. Although the shampoo didn’t suds up quite as much the shampoos I was used to, my hair was soon gleaming with a healthy shine.

Read more ...

I was very excited to get a message from a friend in London who was taking her man out for his birthday dinner to Mandalay, which is a very good Burmese restaurant in London, one of the few Burmese restaurants outside of Myanmar in the world. There is also a very good one in San Francisco and a couple in New York, if anyone else knows of any others, please let me know!

Burmese food is really it’s own thing and I highly recommend trying it out if you get a chance. Kat’s message follows:

I just got back from the restaurant and the food was fantastic! I had that coconut chicken noodle soup (Kaukswe) that you recommended and it was divine! It reminded me a bit of Penang Laksa only better ‘cus they use chicken breast which I prefer! So no bones or funny offal stuff that you sometimes get in noodle dishes. I had battered veg for starters a bit like tempura and some lovely chicken samosas. For dessert I had a tapioca pudding in coconut milk (a bit like Gula Melaka) and Jake had a lovely semolina cake (pictured above).

Read more ...

Published August 2009 in Healthy Options magazine, New Zealand

Recipe for homemade lacto-fermented dill pickles.

Lactic Acid Fermentation: Symbiotic Man’s Secret Ingredient for Health and Longevity

Many years ago, I worked at the Inya Lake Hotel in Myanmar which also does catering and events for the various embassies in Yangon. It was Korea’s National Day and the embassy was having a big function in the hotel ball room. While the rest of the kitchen was in the usual uproar creating the hot dishes for the buffet, I stepped into the cool room we normally reserved for ripening fruit. It was like stepping into a different world.

Read more ...

Who can resist an open air market? In Shan State they have a very clever system by having their farmers market run on a five day cycle. So, for example, around the mystical Inle Lake, the market will be one day in Nyaung Shwe, the next at Mein Tauk, the next at the other corner of the lake as a floating market, etc. This way local farmers can sell their product without having to go too far afield, and tourist just love going to the different locations each day. It is a system worth considering bringing back to other areas of the world. The Burmese have been forced to maintain their traditional methods of farming and subsistence living, which may in the long run be a blessing in disguise for them and the rest of the world. If any of us want to know how to live really sustainably, I recommend following in the footsteps of E.F. Schumacher (author of Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered) by going to Burma and learning from them.

Read more ...

“The Burmese have been forced to maintain their traditional methods of farming and subsistence living, which may in the long run be a blessing in disguise for them and the rest of the world.” More…

Click here to see images from various markets in Yangon (Rangoon).

Read more ...

The first time I visited Burma/Myanmar was in December of 1995. We stayed in the YMCA in downtown Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and were harassed by bed-bugs all night. I remember the streets being particularly gray at that time, except for the bright blue, tiny little taxi’s that were the only vehicles tearing around the roads. This little trucks seem like little blue ladybugs and can still be seen today, packed into the traffic filled streets.

Since then I have had the opportunity to get to know the markets of Rangoon. Most tourists don’t stay long in Yangon, the more mystical tourist destinations are Bagan, Inle Lake or even Kyaiktiyo — the Famous Golden Rock Pagoda, and most tours follow a highly scheduled ten day whirlwind dash to these favorite sites.

Read more ...

My favorite market in Yangon is the Indian Spice market which is on 26th St and Anawratha, and there I love to buy thick honey-rich sandalwood oil, turmeric, fragrant sandalwood beads, freshly ground whole wheat flour and blocks of beeswax. An old friend hangs around his buddies spice stall, and always is excited to see me. (pictured)

More information here.

Click here for a slideshow of some remote farmer’s markets in Myanmar.

Read more ...

Burmese Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Kaukswe is one of the most famous of Myanmar’s wonderful breakfasts, Mohingha is the most famous and is made with fish and banana trunks.

Breakfast is a very special time in Myanmar, there are so many tasty things to choose from, but you have to get up early or you will miss your chance.

This is my grandmother’s recipe for Chicken Kaukswe which is a favorite Burmese breakfast, but can also be eaten at other times of the day. Burmese Chicken Noodle Soup.

Serves 6-8

• 5 medium onions, sliced
• 2 inch piece young ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 chicken
• 2 qts water
• 2 t turmeric
• 1/4 c olive oil
• chili powder
• 4 T split pea flour (can substitute cornstarch)
• 1 coconut (3 c. liquid extracted)
• 1 lb egg noodles

Read more ...