Green tea you can eat
We now call this beautiful country Myanmar in reference to the kingdom that preceded its colonization by the British. It sits between two giants, India and China, whose economic, cultural and culinary influences are clearly visible.
Despite a complex democratic transition, the violent armed conflicts taking place, and the authority of orthodox Buddhism that can be oppressive for girls, we loved exploring Burma! The Burmese welcomed us with great kindness and shared their cultural heritage, natural riches, and traditions.
It is one of the main dishes of traditional Burmese cuisine. I think it was the first thing we ate in Myanmar: tea leaves! Served as a salad with plenty of lemon, garlic and oil, they make appetizers. They are also used to cook meats in sauce. Since they are fermented, they have a very particular taste, somewhat earthy and bitter; in any case we loved it!
You can find them at markets: you need to ask for wet or fermented tea leaves. Well, that’s when you speak Burmese! We actually just point them out: they’re always in small plastic bags, unlike the dried leaves used for infusions which are sold loose.
We haven’t covered green tea yet (but that won’t be long!), however we have a big feature on matcha, a green tea whose leaves are grown in a very special way and then pulverized. In the case of edible tea leaves in Burma, it is said that they retain most of their nutrients, particularly antioxidants. We approve 🙂
Volcanic spirulina in all its forms
In the winding alleys of Bogyoke Market, a traditional handcrafted market in central Yangon, you come across a completely retro-futuristic shop. A turquoise-blue case with mirrors as far as the eye can see houses on its stalls a food no less retro-futuristic – because it’s 3.5 billion years old but it’s also what we consider the food of the future, volcanic spirulina!
Spirulina in wine, in appetizer crackers, in energy drinks, in pills, and even in pet kibble!
The Burmese consume a lot of it, whether in big cities or in rural areas. There’s advertising everywhere! When we did a meditation retreat at a monastery in the southeast of the country, the little shop where the nuns and monks stocked up sold spirulina!
It is grown in volcanic lakes in the Sagaing region, like the one shown in the photo.
Trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake: turmeric, ginger and peanuts as far as the eye can see
60 kilometers separate Kalaw – a mountain town where you can escape the heat a bit – from Inle Lake. It is customary to cross the mountains and forests on foot, doing a three-day trek where you sleep with local families in small villages. We made this journey guided by Bone Bone, a young Burmese who enlightened our steps as much as our knowledge of Burmese plants, culture, and politics.
Beyond the beauty of the landscapes and the experiences – we’d never washed in the street half-naked among buffalo and children with buckets of cold water before, we were stunned by the number of plantations of superfoods!
Starting with the ginger fields. The Burmese love it! It’s a staple of their cuisine. While we use it to enhance some dishes, it’s central in Myanmar, where it’s customary to make “ginger salads”.
Another star we came across on our way: turmeric. Bone bone taught us how to identify the plantations and picked some rhizomes so we could taste them. It’s strong! They wrap it in a banana leaf to make a little reserve for the rest of the trek, and we snack on some every morning to give ourselves courage!
And last but not least, the peanuts! Yes, yes, those we devour frantically as if it were our last meal before the end of the world and which we don’t know whether they’re oily because everyone sticks their fingers in them…
They are actually very healthy, rich in protein, fiber and minerals, in fact it all depends on how you eat them! The Burmese boil them, for example. They plunge the peanuts with their shells into boiling water and eat them hot. It’s absolutely delicious. We had them for breakfast, and some super fresh ones along the way.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Burmese superfoods as much as we did. After all, they are also known back home, just consumed differently! Next steps: spirulina on the rooftops of Bangkok and fair-trade Moringa in Thailand 🐒🐒
Charlotte & Quentin
