Page 40 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

38 BASICS HealtH
STREET FOOD AND MARKETS
Street food isn’t as abundant in Myanmar as elsewhere in Southeast asia, but there are still
plenty of street eats available – particularly in Yangon, where vendors sling entire stalls from
shoulder yokes and set up shop in side streets across the city centre (see box, p.93). Outside
Yangon the situation varies, though some towns offer a good variety of food stalls.
Markets – both wet markets, selling fresh food, and night markets – are perhaps a better bet
for informal dining, and an excellent place to try authentic local dishes, from Shan tofu soup
(see p.36) in markets across Shan State, to bein moun – rice flour pancakes smeared with
jaggery syrup and shreds of coconut – in Hpa-an. Night markets are particularly popular with
foreign visitors, and most towns host one of some kind. an hour or two before it starts to get
dark, vendors usually start to set up a few tables and chairs as well as a small mobile kitchen
somewhere in the centre of town. typically, you’ll see a vast array of uncooked offerings
displayed on a table, and you can then take your pick and choose to have it boiled, fried or
steamed. Seafood, pigs’ innards and chicken feet are all popular night-time delicacies. Note that
food hygiene isn’t always a priority in these sorts of places, so make sure you dine with care.
Whether in a market or on the street, most stalls will specialize in a small selection of dishes
or drinks, with noodle dishes, curry and rice combos and barbecued skewers being
particularly common.

Alcohol brands. Imported spirits are only available in the
Burma’s only home-grown alcoholic drink is larger cities and hotel bars.
t’àn-ye – toddy or palm wine (see box, p.165),
which is usually only available in low-key village Cold drinks
toddy bars not far from where it’s made, thanks to Due to Myanmar’s unreliable electricity supply,
the drink’s incredibly short shelf life (it turns to refrigeration is not widespread and providing cold
vinegar in a matter of hours). although there are drinks is a specialist business. Ice factories deliver
few places resembling Western bars or pubs clear slabs of ice to cold-drink stores each morning,
outside of Yangon and Mandalay, most towns will and the stores then use it to cool drinks and make
have a couple of beer stations that can be identi- ice cream. although Myanmar’s fruit is excellent,
fied by their obvious signs and predominantly fruit shakes and smoothies aren’t as widespread
male clientele. these places usually serve draught here as elsewhere in Southeast asia, and the drinks
beer (around K500 for a glass) as well as bottles owe more to South asia, with falooda (milk, ice and
(from K1000–1500 for 640ml), with the former flavouring mixed together with jelly cubes, tapioca
usually restricted to the most popular brew, pearls and vermicelli) and various lassi-type drinks
Myanmar Beer (produced by a government joint being particularly popular. Strawberry pyo-yeh
venture). Other local beers include Dagon, (p’yaw-ye meaning juice) is a delicious drink to try if
Double Strong (around nine percent alcohol), and you’re in Myanmar during strawberry season (Feb–
aBC Stout. adventurous drinkers may want to try april) – the crushed berries are mixed with
Myanmar Beer’s Spirulina Beer, made with nutri- sweetened milk and yogurt then poured over
tional algae from Sagaing Region, which chunks of ice. Sugar-cane juice is another popular
reputedly has an anti-ageing effect. Imported beverage – look for the hand-operated presses
beers such as tiger and Singha are also occasion- outside stalls or shops.
ally available on draught.
Mid-range and upmarket restaurants will often
have a list of imported wine. there are even a Health
couple of vineyards making wine in Shan State:
look out for Red Mountain (see box, p.256) and The quality of healthcare in Myanmar is
aythaya. Fruit wines are produced around Pyin Oo generally fairly abysmal. Routine advice
lwin from plums and other fruit. and treatment are available in Yangon
locally distilled spirits are widely available and and Mandalay, but elsewhere the
popular as a cost-effective alternative to beer, with hospitals often lack even basic supplies.
a large bottle of whisky starting at K1200. Grand Minor injuries and ailments can be dealt
Royal Whisky and Mandalay Rum are both common with by pharmacists, but if you are

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