How to get to know the authentic Burmese cuisine? Eating out at local bars with Burmese people is a good way but it’s not the same as cooking with a local ‘housewife’… Especially if you can participate in the process of preparing products (by going to the market to get them, the place where the whole experience begins), then in the preparation of various dishes, especially the typically traditional ones (it’s worth mentioning that you choose what you want to cook during a cooking class, so you have the chance to emphasize that you want to cook and eat the food Burmese people eat at home). We highly recommend you a cooking class offered by ‘Y Wine’ in Nyaung Shwe for 15.000MMK (11USD) per person (in our case of course it was Michal who was cooking, and me following his each and every step snapping photos and later even tasting the cooked dishes with him, and yet we only paid for 1 person!).
Below you can see a menu with many options to choose from for cooking during your cooking class. You can choose one option from each category. Additionally you get 1 more course free of charge and drinks: water and fresh fruit juice.
When you select the menu you then go to the market with this charming woman.
The above photo was taken at a stall with stems from the so-called sticky rice, used to make ” local sushi ” very easily.
Above you can see a vegetable called kitlan loved by the Burmese which seasoned and fried tastes really great.
The shopping bag is filled up with all the necessary products, so it’s time to head for the place where Michal is going to get to know Burmese cuisine.
Ready, steady, go! We begin by preparing kitlan before placing it onto the pan.
The ‘local sushi’ made of sticky rice is also there on the way:
And here we go! In the kitchen you can scent wonderful spices in the air! The meat and shrimps are being marinated, you can smell spicy soup made of local dark peas… The spices that are constantly used are: a lot of chili, garlic, onion, pepper, salt, herbs and roasted peanuts.
Below you can see rice crackers, which resemble dry paper when purchased in the market. After throwing them onto the pan you can see them instantly turning into a crunchy form.
These green leaves in a salad in the picture are pickled green tea leaves, known from its distinctive flavor.
And now as the table is full, let’s dig in! And how can you now fit it all in your stomach? … Such a huge amount of food waiting to be eaten 🙂
Cooking with Y Wine was a great culinary adventure! Highly recommended! 🙂