snack

Virtual Tour – Eating in Kalaw

Every so often I really miss Burma and the delicious variety of foods constantly available there. I spent 6 months or so in Shan State working for a beautiful hotel on the banks of Inle Lake in 1999 and got to know some of the foodways of the surrounding area as well. Kalaw isn’t so far from Inle lake and has a community of Gurkha’s from Nepal brought over by the British. They have such respect and care for their food. Kalaw’s downtown has many fantastic tea shops with their own delicacies. We could even get fresh milk from one of the tea-shops, a real rarity in Burma. When we dropped by in the morning they would be gently heating great batches of milk to make yogurt and other goodies with.

The video shows a good shot into their kitchen. Outside the tea shop a young lad makes samosas while a buddy rolls out the dough for the Burmese donut or Ei kya kwe.

Other treats can be found inside the market in the back corner where the food-stalls are. A busy Shan noodle stand has the best noodles (Shan Kauk Swe) with yellow Shan tofu or tofu chips. A neighboring stall prepares mashed fish and rice (nga htamin) – tastes much more delicious than it sounds, take my word for it.

Thin rice flour pancakes with butter beans and spring onions (yay mont) are another delight or the romantic traditional Burmese snack translated loosely as couples cakes are another option. If you have a sweet tooth the palm sugar soaked cookies are addictive.

Memories of Moroccan Sellou

Memories of Moroccan Sellou

I finally got around to searching for the recipe to this amazing almond and honey energy paste that they eat for breakfast during Ramadan in Morocco. It started niggling at me a few months ago, but the truth was I couldn't even remember the name of it. I soon found results coming up that were point ...

Schmaltz and Grebenes

Schmaltz and Grebenes

The Rendering of Chicken or Goose Fat to Create Delicious Cracklings. A real old fashioned traditional recipe from Jewish Cookery by Leah W. Leonard Cut fatty fowl skin and other fat clusters into 1-inch cubes or strips Cover with cold water Cook in a heavy kettle or frying pan, covered ...

Chili-Cumin Popcorn

Chili-Cumin Popcorn

serves 2 3/4 c organic popping corn 1/4 c oil Method: Allow oil to heat. Add two or three kernels of corn and cover. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the corn to the pot. The pot should be heavy bottomed and medium sized. Keep the cover on, don't peek. When the corn begins ...