under the skin

Cooking with local ingredients - Burma

"Bordered by countries with such strong culinary identities, Burma struggles to establish its own yet it enjoys the influence of its neighbours."
Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell

Why is this a great activity to do in Burma?

As you would expect from such a fertile country, there is abundant local produce and we have a number of cooks/restaurants dotted around the country who will demonstrate and even teach Burmese specialities and regional varieties. Meal time is important and the preparation can take many hours.

What is the food like in Burma?

Because of the liberal use of shrimp paste in many recipes (and the questionable hygiene of some kitchens in a hot climate) Burmese food prepared for locals/by local restaurants can be a bit robust for the Western palate and- unlike nearby India, Thailand and Vietnam- the cuisine has not caught on beyond its borders. But there is no reason why modified versions of many popular dishes should not be popular outside Burma.............and a c+l cooking lesson while you are in a country could be the start of a new fad.....

Peanut oil is largely used in a wok as the starting point of many dishes with peanuts an important crop. The curries are mild as they are prepared more as masalas with the heat put in later by the individual as a condiment added at the table to taste. The lentil soup (peh-hin-ye) sometimes other soups often with noodles and of course rice are the main accompaniments. Chicken and fish are more common than goat, pork and beef partly due to Buddhist sensibilities and partly due to availability. Green tea grown predominantly in the hill country of Shan State is a good digestive.