Joanna James
Home to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon is the largest city of Myanmar. Nestled in a coastal area, Yangon has incorporated extensive use of fish and other delicious seafood into its cuisine. Here are five top delicious dishes you can taste in this city.
If you are ever to visit the famed Shwedagon Pagoda, look for a nearby place that sells Mohinga Fish Soup. Supposedly, the region surrounding this iconic pagoda sells the best of Mohinga in the whole country. A famously-loved dish in Yangon, this dish is basically a rice-noodle stew that is served in an appetising fish broth, which gives its attractive colour and flavour, using turmeric and lemongrass. The broth is given its characteristic thickness by the infusion of crushed chickpeas. Mohinga is a breakfast favourite among the locals, and the steaming deliciousness is usually served before nine in the morning. So make sure to hunt down for a place before that time for a mouth-watering experience!
A classic Burmese chicken curry, Kyet Thar Hin, is usually served along with fragrant jasmine rice garnished with a few slices of lime. The chicken is first marinated with turmeric, fish sauce, and a pinch of sugar before it is cooked with a delectable chilli paste. Garlic, shallots, ginger, and dried chillies are ground together to procure this chilli paste, which is then used to bring out the toothsome flavour of Kyet Thar Hin. You can expect to be mesmerised by the many flavours of this dish when you dine at many a hotel in Yangon the likes of PARKROYAL Yangon.
Locally referred to as "Gangster Sandwich," this scrumptious street food delight in Yangon is held together in a thin and crispy pancake that is highly reminiscing of the Indian cuisine. The Indian-style pancake is wrapped around cabbage, chickpeas, and spring onions, along with various other ingredients. Dosa Sandwich is no exception from the other street food in Yangon, with its greasy texture and the savoury flavour. You will be served this delightful snack in bite-sized pieces that you can munch in one go.
A traditional Burmese street snack, Mont Lin Ma Yar is a crispy and savoury pancake-like delicacy. Rice flour, quail eggs, chickpeas, and spring onions are the magic behind this mouthwatering delight with a dash of turmeric and pepper for taste. It is also known as the "husband and wife snack" as the two halves of a quail egg are grilled until it catches a fine golden-brown and combine into a one whole snack using a sticky, white rice flour mixture- and yes, it fits perfectly into the cliché of two lives becoming one!
When you think of tea leaves, it's usually because of the aromatic golden-brown beverage that is consumed in many countries. Although in Myanmar, they have gone through a completely different route and come up with a tasty tea-leaf salad that is known as Lahpet Thoke. This dish has a place of high value in Yangon and all other areas of Myanmar. When the tea is harvested, the best leaves are sorted out and left aside to be fermented and transformed into this delicious Burmese delicacy.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
