The Complete Guide
If you have never tasted Burmese food, you are in for one of the great undiscovered pleasures of world cuisine. Burma, now known as Myanmar, sits at a remarkable crossroads between India, China and Southeast Asia, and its food reflects every one of those influences while remaining entirely its own. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Burmese cuisine, from its key ingredients and most loved dishes to the traditions and stories behind the food.
“Burmese cuisine is one of the most underappreciated food traditions in the world. Once you try it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.”
Where Does Burmese Food Come From?
Burma sits at the meeting point of some of the world’s greatest food cultures. To the west is India, with its mastery of spice and slow cooking. To the north is China, bringing noodles, fermentation and wok techniques. To the south and east is Southeast Asia, with its fresh herbs, fish sauce and coconut. Burmese food takes from all of these traditions and creates something distinct and deeply original.
The cuisine also reflects Burma’s own extraordinary diversity. With over 130 ethnic groups, each with their own food traditions, Burmese cooking is not one cuisine but many. The dishes most people know, like Mohinga and Lahpet, come from the Bamar majority, but the Shan, Kachin, Karen, Rakhine and many other groups all have their own incredible food traditions.
What Makes Burmese Food Different?
Several things set Burmese food apart from its neighbours. The first is fermentation. Burmese cooks use fermented ingredients in ways that no other cuisine quite matches. Fermented fish paste, fermented tea leaves, fermented bean paste and pickled vegetables are all central to the flavour of Burmese cooking. These ingredients add a depth and complexity that is instantly distinctive.
The second is the balance of flavours. Burmese food is not as fiery as some Indian curries, not as sweet as much of Southeast Asian cooking, and not as neutral as much Chinese food. It sits in a unique place, deeply savoury and aromatic with layers of flavour that build as you eat.
The third is the use of oils. Many Burmese dishes are cooked with a generous amount of oil, which is used deliberately to fry aromatics like onion, garlic and ginger until they are deeply golden and fragrant. This process, called the oil topping technique, is what gives Burmese curries their characteristic sheen and rich flavour.
Essential Burmese Dishes to Know
Mohinga
The national dish of Burma. A rich fish broth poured over thin rice noodles, topped with crispy fritters, boiled eggs and fresh herbs. Eaten for breakfast across the country.
Lahpet
Fermented tea leaf salad, unlike anything else in the world. Tangy, nutty, crunchy and deeply addictive. A symbol of Burmese hospitality and culture.
Ohn No Khao Swe
Burmese coconut chicken noodle soup, often described as Burma’s answer to Khao Soi. Rich, creamy and deeply comforting.
Nan Gyi Thoke
Thick round rice noodles tossed with chicken curry, fish sauce, chickpea flour and fresh toppings. A beloved street food staple.
Htamin Jin
Sour fermented rice, a speciality of Inle Lake. Tangy, nutty and unlike any other rice dish in the world.
Ngapi
Fermented shrimp or fish paste, the backbone of Burmese flavour. Used in curries, dips and salads across the country.
Key Ingredients in Burmese Cooking
Understanding a few key ingredients will unlock Burmese cooking for you. Here are the most important ones to know:
- Ngapi (fermented fish or shrimp paste) — the foundation of flavour in many Burmese dishes. Pungent on its own but transformative when cooked.
- Laphet (fermented tea leaves) — used in salads and as a condiment. Unique to Burma and completely unlike any other ingredient.
- Shrimp powder — dried and ground shrimp used to add umami depth to dishes.
- Turmeric — used extensively in Burmese curries, often more generously than in Indian cooking.
- Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves — aromatic herbs used in broths and lighter dishes.
- Chickpea flour — used as a thickener in noodle dishes and to make tofu in Shan cuisine.
- Fish sauce — used for seasoning in much the same way soy sauce is used in Chinese cooking.
Burmese Food and Our Family
At Burmawala Kitchen, Burmese food is personal. Our recipes come from a mum of Burmese-Indian heritage who has been cooking these dishes for over 40 years. Many of them were passed down from her own mother, and her mother before that. When you cook from our Burmese recipes, you are cooking food with a real family history behind it.
We are passionate about sharing Burmese cuisine with the world because we genuinely believe it deserves far more recognition than it gets. Every time someone discovers Mohinga or Lahpet for the first time, we feel a little burst of joy. We hope this guide is the beginning of a long love affair with Burmese food for you too.
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Browse all of our authentic Burmese recipes, from Mohinga to Lahpet and everything in between.