ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Myanmar
Five dishes to try in Myanmar, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Myanmar
Mohinga မုန့်ဟင်းခါး
Rice noodles in a thick fish and lemongrass broth, topped with fritters and egg.
How to have it: The national breakfast, sold at street stalls from dawn; add lime and chilli flakes.
Tea leaf salad လက်ဖက်သုပ်
Fermented tea leaves tossed with crunchy beans, peanuts, tomato, garlic and chilli.
How to have it: Served after meals and at teashops; contains caffeine, so go easy in the evening.
Ohn no khao swè အုန်းနို့ခေါက်ဆွဲ
Wheat noodles in a coconut milk and chicken curry broth.
How to have it: Popular for breakfast or lunch; top it with boiled egg, fish cake, lime and crispy fritters.
Nan gyi thoke နန်းကြီးသုပ်
Thick rice noodles mixed with chicken curry, chickpea flour and fried onion.
How to have it: A Mandalay favourite; eat it at teashops and markets as a late breakfast.
Shan tofu တိုဖူး
Yellow chickpea-flour tofu, served fried, in salad or as a warm porridge.
How to have it: Look for it fried at street stalls and in salads around Inle Lake and Shan State.
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Questions
What food is Myanmar famous for?
Mohinga (rice noodles in a thick fish and lemongrass broth, topped with fritters and egg) comes first on our list, followed by Tea leaf salad, Ohn no khao swè, Nan gyi thoke and Shan tofu.
What is the national dish of Myanmar?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Myanmar is Mohinga: rice noodles in a thick fish and lemongrass broth, topped with fritters and egg. The national breakfast, sold at street stalls from dawn; add lime and chilli flakes.
Which dishes in Myanmar are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Tea leaf salad and Shan tofu. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Myanmar?
Nan gyi thoke (thick rice noodles mixed with chicken curry, chickpea flour and fried onion).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.