Myanmar

Standfirst

Fish broth poured over rice noodles from a low stool at dawn. Tea leaves eaten rather than drunk. Curries left to sit in oil until the flavour settles. Myanmar cooks quietly, and rewards anyone who slows down for it.

Chapter One

The country wakes to mohinga

Fish broth thickened with toasted rice, poured over soft rice noodles, finished with crisp fritters, coriander and a wedge of lime. Mohinga is served from low stools at first light and eaten in a few unhurried minutes — the closest thing Myanmar has to a national clock.

The Burmese kitchen is quieter than its neighbours and more interesting for it. Where Thai cooking arrives sharp and immediate, Myanmar leans on fermentation, oil, nuts and salt: ngapi yay for dipping vegetables, tofu nway warm in a bowl, e kya kway fried and torn into tea.

“

Lahpet thoke is one of very few dishes anywhere in the world where tea is eaten rather than drunk.

— On the Burmese table

Chapter Two

Tossed at the table

No dish explains Myanmar better than lahpet thoke. Fermented tea leaves, fried beans, peanuts, sesame, tomato, garlic and chilli are mixed by hand at the table into something crunchy, tangy and completely singular.

Around it sit the noodles: ohn no khao swè in coconut broth, nan gyi thoke thick and dressed dry, Shan noodles from the hills with tomato and pounded chilli. Curry comes gentler than expected, cooked until the oil rises and the spice settles.

The Myanmar poster — mohinga, lahpet thoke, ohn no khao swè, Shan noodles and bein mont in one illustrated composition.

Chapter Three

Pieces that travel well

A poster for the kitchen wall, an apron for everyday cooking, and a kids map naming Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw — small, specific ways to keep the country close.