Given the latest happenings in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), I figured I’d provide a brief lesson on the culture that has created the famous 12-ingredient Salad.
First, check out CNN’s FAQ on what’s going on in Myanmar, and why, this very moment.
Next, check out the map of the country (courtesy: Lonely Planet). Ah, this is why Burmese cuisine is described as being “influenced” by Chinese, Indian, and Thai cuisine. Look at the border countries, people!
Finally, go sample some Burmese grub food at 2 of 3 tasty restaurants:
Golden Mandalay
Yamo
I won’t mention the third “Super Star” restaurant as it gets enough publicity on its own, thank you.
If anything, when you visit these restaurants, lament that the Myanmar government hasn’t caught on to the potential treasure trove of tourist dollars they could collect if they opened up the country to tourism, with cooking classes and restaurants galore. (Why should Thailand capture all that revenue?) The country’s loss is your gain – thank goodness some immigrants decided to set up shop in our lovely city so we could be introduced to to their delicacies.