A Taste of Burma

Travelling in Burma you can experience tastes and flavours from China, India and Thailand in fact there is so much variety the it takes a while to recognise that there is no one dominant theme.

Reflecting  the location of the country and the rich influence of the diverse people this is a unique experience for any visitor.

Chillies for sale

Spices Bagan market

Looking back my 2007 photographs are focused less on the food and more on the sights and the people.

We did eat well though and my travel journal has entries such as "Golden Myanmar - currys with a vast array of vegetable condiments" and "Sharabha 11 - chinese/thai theme sweet & sour & hot & sour - a real hit for us all".

Take a look here for an introduction to the food of Burma www.myanmar.com/lifestyle/traditional_foods.html

The skyline of Yangon (Rangoon) is dominated by the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda the most sacred site in Burma. Visiting at sunset brings crowds of worshipers and the sights and sounds are a magical experience.

Shwedagon at sunset

In the north of the country it is the thousands of temples of Bagan set in the countryside that takes your breathe away. Hiring bikes is a good way to see the the extent of the centuries old sacred site.

Temples of Bagan

Travelling north east towards the border with China is the fascinating Lake Inle although the ten hour overland mountain drive is not for the faint hearted. This large lake is where fishing and farming predominate is bordered by small towns and villages comprising wood and bamboo houses built on stilts. The unique fishing technique is a one off.

Lake life at Inle

Fishing Inle style

There is so much to see in Burma with its tourism industry now slowing but steadily developing. Our week long visit barely made a start but the contrasting sights, sounds and experiences and the friendly welcoming people have left lasting memories for us all.

Street Food of Thailand

On one of our first trips to South East Asia we spent a few days in Thailand which was the start of a now longstanding love of Thai foods and flavours. The sweet, salty, sour, spicy and hot combinations create many ways to transform simple ingredients.

For a straightforward introduction to this cuisine try the book published by Headline called 'Ken Hom Cooks Thai'. I recently cooked Braised Pork Belly in Fish Sauce a spicy combination of pork, shallots, garlic, ginger, soy, chilli and tomatoes. Served with Cauliflower Thai - style, Green Beans and Thai rice. This was a simple and very popular dish.

Braised Pork in Fish Sauce

Also tasty and effortless was a starter of spicy minced chicken flavoured with lemongrass, soy, sherry (an excellent substitute for rice wine) chilli jam and lime juice. Served on a bed of shredded lettuce with soy and sweet chilli sauces.

Spicy Chicken

Soy and Chilli Sauces

By far the largest cookery book I own is Thai Street Food by David Thompson. In addition to a range of authentic recipes this gives you stunning illustrations of Thai food and life.

 For more on the Thai food expert and writer David Thompson and for a good recipe for chilli jam take a look at annsfooddiary.blogspot.com 17 July 2012 'Chilli Jam or nahm prik pao'