Tips for Foodies When Visiting Myanmar

Myanmar food is unlike Chinese or Indian food and has different flavors from Thai or Malay food. There is less dependence on hot spices and more on natural herbs and aromatics. Coconut milk is not used except in two special coconut milk-based dishes: moun hin ga and oun no khau hswe. These are wonderful snacks and you should try when taking a Myanmar tour package.

Moo hin ga (catfish noodle soup) of Burmese people
Moo hin ga (catfish noodle soup) of Burmese people.

Safe food
Hotel food and food in the big restaurants is generally safe. Hot food at roadside stalls should pose no harm if your stomach has been familiarized to eastern food. Generally, it is not the food which is the cause of the trouble but the receptacle dish or bowl which may not be thoroughly washed clean.

Avoid stale food when traveling in Myanmar
When traveling in Myanmar, you may have occasion to buy and eat food at a railway station or roadside shop. Make sure that what you are ordering or buying is not stale food. Fried snipe, quails, sparrows, and chicken giblets tend to be fried over and over again. And avoid fruits which are overripe.

Be adventurous
These warnings about food are just a reminder to be alert. Yet you should be adventurous in trying Myanmar food. Some dishes may be oily but these can be passed. Others are delicious, especially the athou (salad). There are also scores of varieties of moun (snack or dessert) which are a gustatory delight.