Salad 2.0 in Myanmar
When you think of salads, do you picture lettuce leaves with whatever you still had lying around in the fridge? A way to pretend to eat healthily when what you really fancy is a portion of fries with satay sauce? Think again. In Myanmar (formerly Burma), they make salads that will have even the biggest salad hater’s mouth watering.
The Burmese word for salad — a thonk — literally means tossed together. So it can be anything, from tomatoes to pig’s head. Here are the most delicious salads from Myanmar, all in one list.
Fermented tea
One of the most iconic salads in Burmese cuisine. Because of the bizarrely hot climate and widespread poverty (read: no refrigerator), people in Myanmar are masters at preserving and fermenting. This keeps products shelf-stable for a long time, and it’s also damn delicious.
Like, for example, this salad. The use of fermented tea gives the salad an incredibly intense flavour with plenty of acidity. You probably haven’t tasted anything like it before. It’s often served on a platter with nuts and other delicious snacks at the start of the meal.
Aubergine
The aubergine salad is firmly in our number-one spot. The smoky aubergine flesh is mixed (after being thoroughly drained) with sesame oil, lime, coriander, shallots and loads of garlic. Soft, fresh, smoky — you’ll want to eat this forever.
Samosa
It’s wonderfully convenient that in Myanmar you can literally toss anything together and call it a salad. Fried snacks included. Many a fitness girl might disagree, but at FavorFlav we’re over the moon. Myanmar borders India, and these influences are clearly reflected in the food. You see samosas (filled pastry triangles) everywhere on the streets, so why not simply turn them into a salad?
Tomatoes
Something as simple as a tomato salad is a way to get to know the flavours of a country. Italy has its simple version with basil, for example, while feta is added in Greece. The tomato salad in Myanmar also perfectly reflects the flavour profile of Burmese cuisine.
As in many Southeast Asian countries, lime, fish sauce and roasted peanuts are used. What takes the salad to the next level and gives it that characteristic Burmese flavour is sesame seeds and chickpea flour. Make it with this recipe.
Meat
And yes, meat counts too. Restaurants feature the most adventurous options on their menus: salad made with pig’s head, pig’s ear or offal. But for now, let’s keep things accessible with a delicious beef salad. Similar to laab from Thailand or Laos, but Burmese-style.
