Part One: Food in Myanmar

      The undiscovered treasures of the Land of Gold are its culinary gemstones.

      By Wendy Hutton

      The food of Burma, "The Land of Gold" of ancient Indian and Chinese manuscripts, is one of the least known Asian cuisines. This is more a result of the country's period of self-imposed isolation than the intrinsic quality of the food itself. However, as Burma—or Myanmar as it is now officially called—opens its doors to visitors and international business, more people are discovering its intriguingly different cuisine.

      Sitting between India and China, two powerful nations with strong cultural traditions, and sharing borders with Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand, Burma's beginning dates back some 2,500 years, when Tibeto-Burman-speaking people moved from Tibet and Yunnan into the northern part of the country. Kingdoms rose and fell over the centuries, many different tribes arrived and established themselves, and various Western powers set up coastal trading posts.

      The British gained control over the country little by little, annexing it to British India, until the last king was dethroned in 1886. Burma regained its independence in 1946, becoming a socialist republic in 1974. In 1979, the ruling authorities changed the name to Myanmar.

      Once known for its vast wealth in teak, rubies, jade and rice, Myanmar has in recent times set about developing into a modern nation. Yet it is the glittering golden stupas, the stone remains of ancient kingdoms, the timeless movement of wooden boats along the giant Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, the bustle and colour of local markets and the charm and gracious generosity of its people which remain in the visitor's mind long after departing.

      Owing to the prevalence of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Western restaurants in tourist hotels, some visitors leave Myanmar without experiencing the local cuisine. Full of flavour, healthful, sometimes hauntingly similar to neighbouring cuisines, at other times dramatically different, the food of Myanmar is not complex to prepare at home.

      Based on rice with a range of tasty side dishes, salads, soups and condiments, Myanmar cuisine offers a wide choice of flavours. Although the vast majority of the population is Buddhist, they make a distinction between taking life and buying food which has already been caught or killed. In general, Myanmar's Muslims slaughter the cattle and catch fish, while