Burma Cuisine & Myanmar Food Recipes

Burmese cuisine includes dishes from various regions of the South-East Asian country of Burma (Myanmar). Due to Myanmar's geographic location, Burmese recipes have been variously influenced by China, India and Thailand. The regional diversity of Myanmar's food has been augmented by the local and imigrant ethnic minorities. Recipes are characterised by extensive use of fish products such as fish sauce and ngapi. Sea food is an important ingredient in the coastal cities of Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, Mawlamyaing (formerly Moulmein), Mergui (Myeik) and Dawei.

Pork, beef and poultry are more commonly used in landlocked cities like Mandalay. Freshwater fish and shrimp are an important element of inland cooking, and are a primary source of protein, used in a variety of ways; fresh, salted whole or filleted, salted and dried, made into a salty paste, or fermented sour and pressed.

Burmese enjoy a wide range of salads (a thoke), usually dominated by one major ingredient which may include rice, wheat and rice noodles, glass noodles and vermicelli, to potato, ginger, tomato, kaffir lime, lahpet (pickled tea), and ngapi (fish paste). These salads have always been popular as fast foods in Burmese cities.