Once again, food rituals and sharing in general are always such a magnifying glass through which to discover a culture. I brought back two or three from a recent trip to Myanmar to give you a taste and an incentive to discover that country.
True street food can be daring for a Western stomach whenever you travel to another country… but if it’s thoroughly cooked the risk is obviously lower.
I found this delicate little cake called “lover cake” – two pieces, symbolizing two lovers, are cooked separately before being put together, sometimes with different stuffing.
As well, there’s no risk to taste the famous rice crackers – large snacks made of rice extracts (mostly under stone pressure; the red one from the mountains is the most expensive), pan fried for a few seconds like a crêpe, dried for a few hours under the sun, and finally cooked for no more than a couple of seconds either under many little hot stones or straight over some charcoal (see picture), giving this unique taste and crispy texture.
Finally, try to share a lunch with the monks. Temples in Myanmar are not only for worship, but also for social events. I was lucky to be invited by the local community to share the lunch they had prepared for the monks. Musical, spiritual, tasty, unforgettable.
