Traditional Burmese Cuisine -An Interview with Mimi Aye

Burmese food writer turned activist MiMi Aye has been raising awareness about the crisis in Myanmar since the coup in February. MiMi’s award-winning book ‘MANDALAY: Recipes & Tales from a Burmese Kitchen’ is loved by Nigella Lawson and was chosen by The Observer, The FT, and The Mail on Sunday as one of their Best Books of 2019. MiMi also co-hosts the food and culture podcast The MSG Pod and is on social media as @meemalee

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The vast tropical and sub-tropical south east Asia always was a place of tantalising and fascinating stories, myths and legends! Ruins and monuments hidden deep in the jungles, long and unexplored rivers, mysterious tribes living in the jungles, and long lost civilizations! Even more the myriads of different foods, the ingredients the thousands of local plants were alien to me! 

We do know a lot of Thai and Vietnamese food, and we have a sense of place for them. We know of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisines too well. But what about that "little" corner of the earth sandwiched between China in the north, India to the west and Thailand in the East? What about Myanmar? 

Or as it is also known (perhaps more correctly) Burma. I knew practically nothing about the country. Same with many of us. I could point it on the map, but aside from that, the long military dictatorship and the many years of isolation, shrouded her in mystery!

I could not pass the opportunity then, to invite Mimi Aye on the podcast, since she is the go to person for all things that have to do with Burmese food in UK!

Obviously rice was been cultivated in this region of the world for almost 6000 years...

And what is Lahpet? A unique delicacy of the Burmese people...And do they eat fish sauce? 

Tea, rice, fritters, soups and salads, fermented bean pastes, fish sauce...!

Why is that extremely bitter foods are consider a must-have?

I need to know -and most importantly eat- everything!

Well now I have a sense of direction on where to start thanks to Mimi!

And so do you:

https://www.meemalee.net/buy-my-book 

Enjoy!

Thom

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