N 134 Foods We Eat

 N        134     Foods We Eat.....

 Food is one of the main things a living being need  for sustenance.There is a Burmese saying , without food a person can stay alive for a week, but without water it will be only one morning.  So we cannot live without water as well as food.

      Consuming food and water began since unfolding of life began.The way human beings ate would not be advanced then. The cave men or early stone age men , since they hadn't discovered  fire would have eaten their food raw,or uncooked. Fire was said to be discovered by Neanderthal men, 400,000 years ago.

From that time on people would know how to cook their food, at least to roast or boil their food for eating which make them more delicious. 

    People, now are of different races and living at different places around the world.Generally we can say the white people which consisted of the Europeans  and Americans live in Europe ,America and Australia. The black people live in Africa,  whereas yellow skin people live in Asia.

       Foods these people eat differs according to the  places where they live, their environment and  physical features of their land. Europe and America are big  continents with rolling plains and grasslands, which are suitable for growing grains like wheat  or barley and oats. So bread and foods made from these grains become staple food for the white people. The grasslands which enable animal breeding also give milk and dairy products and meat for consumption.

      Africa a large continent with 54 countries do not have a common diet but vary according to regions, geography, and local traditions. But I learnt that   a heavy , starchy soup made of cassavas or yams, sweet potatatoes ,vegetables , sometimes with meat or fish  and spices is a common dish for Africans. Meat , fish, flat bread,and rice are also eaten according to regions.

      I have been writing  only an introductory rough sketch about various foods people eat around the world. What I am really aiming to write is about our food, the Myanmar  and Shan food. 

        Ours is an Asian country which sits between 2 big  nations , India and China.  These countries and ours differ in everything, from the origins of people,culture, religion, language  etc....But  the climate and rainfall of our countries enable rice growing. So most Asian countries grow rice and it become our staple food.

      When  I say the Myanmar and Shan and also other tribes in our country eat rice ,it is not only rice, but with some sorts of curry. Myanmar curries are cooked using ingredients like onion, garlic,tomatoes, curmin, chilly powder and  some other herbs as necessary.First the ingredients are pounded and fried to become a paste, and then the meat or fish is put in and leave on the fire until they are well cooked and the meat or fish is left with only the gravy and oil.This is called si pyan hin and I  think it is much inflluenced by Indian cooking.In a Myanmar meal this is the main curry ,but there are also many other side dishes.

         Myanmar has a variety of soups which are cooked using onion,garlic, ngapi or fish paste and vegetables.There are also side dishes of fried vegetables or salad. There is one dish, which may be called an appetizer and which Myanmar people  are fond of called ngapi yay gyo. It is made with fermented small fishes, boiled with some water,and added with garlic, chillie powder and roasted onion and tomato. Fresh vegetables are dipped into this and eaten heartily . Some who cannot afford much for meals have to do with only this dish.

continuation of  Foods We Eat.... Last part 

       

While people in Myanmar proper eat this way people in other parts of the country adopted some ways of cooking of their neighbours. Those who live near the Chinese border take on some ways of cooking of the Chinese. Those who live near the Thai border become aquainted with Thai foods.That is the reason that many people in Myanmar have now come to like fermented foods, Marlar Shangkaw, Marlar hin  of the Chinese and Som Tam, Tom yam kung, and  spicy food of the Thais.

      But deep inside the Shan State the Shan people are still eating the way they have been eating centuries ago. Some Shan people like to eat sticky rice, instead of simple rice. They use fermented soy bean in some curries as an ingredient. When cooking meat and fish, these are marinated with salt, onion, tomatoes, chillies,soybean powder, a little oil, coreander and some herbs ad wrap in  banana leaves or put in a bamboo and kindle over fire until they are well cooked.

      Like Myanmar people Shans also have a variety of curries to eat with rice, which are fried or make into salad. Soup is made mostly using vegetables with soy powder as base. And as Myanmar people eat nga pi yay, Shan people also eat an appetizer called nam hpit poo.This side dish is made of soy powder mixed with other ingredients like nga pi yay.When eating, people take some green vegetables, dip them in the dish and eat. About Myanmar people's eating by hand, some people are  astonished about it. They think people use their whole hands and getting dirtied ,that they feel disgusted by the custom. While having a chance I want to explain about that. That eating by hand doesn't mean that we are using the whole hand, but only the tip of one hand. And Shan people wash their hands before and after eating.

So every nationality in the world have their own food, their own way of eating. But not everybody have enough to eat. Those who have enough to eat can be said to be blessed, because there are many, many people who don't have enough to eat, because of coflicts, of unfavourable climate and other factors. So those who have enough to eat , those who are blessed 'shouldn't waste their food and share what they have with the needy as much as they can as a kind of dana, which will enable them to have a good life in the next life.

N 129 My childhood days in Kunhing.

I was born in Kunhing in Southern Shan State which is 140 miles from Taunggyi ,the capital of the State. When I was about 5 years old our family moved to Taunggyi for some reasons . In those days cars were not very plentiful. So to go to Taunggyi we had to rely on some lorries which transported people and goods to Kengtung, and maybe there were  a few jeeps too. 

Like many other people who moved away but couldn’t forget their birthplace, we the children would like to visit Kunhing whenever we had a chance,though it was not even a town where many people resided,but a few houses scattered here and there. In the early years my grandmother was still alive, so we had grandmother and an aunt with her family to stay with. 

They would dote on us , children,with special foods they have. We ate sticky rice with fried fresh carp from Nam Pang  river. The fishes caught from Nam Pang river then were so delicious, because they were natural. Fried pork or some fermented meat with sticky rice was also a common food . On market days when we entered the small market our nostrils were met by the smell of Shan mount ti. We ate this with eggs and fried dried pork skin. Eggs in those days were natural and they were sold by putting in small woven bamboo strips. There were also other Shan snacks like Khao moon part , khao moon haw and some other khao moons.

 

The other attraction of Kunhing is the Nam Pang stream.Though it is called stream it actually is as big as a river with its head in Mernghsu, a town north of Kunhing. It may be about 300 yards at its widest and would be deep because of its emerald green color. There was a wooden bridge across it in those days with some space between the planks that it was frightful for us children to look down to the water.

    

As long as I can remember, nobody swam across the stream. But I heard that my mother when she was young swam across it, but surely with company,  which would be her cousins.I learned that they swam not the whole length in one stroke, but rest on boulders which are plentiful in the stream. And my mother and her cousins when they did boating in the stream would be reckless enough to choose the smallest boats. They were young and could swim well then , and if something happen help would surely come from nearby.

We children never had opportunity to bathe ,to swim in the Nam Pang river. Our bathing time was in the evening ,when we were taken to a small waterfall made by some planks to have water from a small stream flow down to a lower place, where we bathe under it.There also was a platform made of thick wooden planks to wash and do washing clothes .There also was a rice mill with a waterwheel near there, which was running night and day.We children were happy and satisfied to go and bathe at this small waterfall and would be looking to the time to go there.

Kunhing is hot as it is only 1615 feet above sea level with no high mountains. I recalled  a unique way of how we kept cool during the summer months while we were there. A big bamboo mat which maybe about 8 or 10 feet ,bounded by bamboo strips at the edges were secured to a beam by ropes was let hanging down. This mat was pulled backwards and forwards by maids to let cool air  fill the space while family members sit or lie down on the floor mat. I never saw this way of keeping cool anywhere,but only there in those days. 

As I mentioned earlier Kunhing is 140 miles away from Taunggyi. Even there were no effective means of traveling in the early days ,for some reasons people were going places. Around 1930, when my mother was at the age of 15/16 she travelled to Taunggyi with her mother . I learned that the two of them traveled in a bullock cart with only the cart driver as their company. At night they slept in the cart while the driver slept on the ground.My mother who was dubbed “Golden Tree “because she always wear heavy jewelry, would then be wearing jewelry ,but the country under British rule by then was peaceful with no robbers or dacoits ,that they had nothing to fear of.The journey took them 10 days to reach Taunggyi. 

Even in my mother’s time I think the road between Taunggyi and Kunhing was paved with asphalt. The author  Morris Collision seemed to reach Kunhing in one day, and then next day he even reached Kengtung riding in lorries. The road between Kunhing and Taunggyi sometimes passes through lowlands, though there are curves and bends occasionally, but after Loilem the region is mountainous, that it is dangerous for cars to pass through. On one side are massive rock walls that cannot be blown  to widen the road, and on the other side deep precipices, where sometimes cars fall down and caused casualties.

The  name Kunhing comes from the word Kunhaing which means a thousand islands,because there are many islands in the Nampang Stream.After my grandparents time more people came and settled on the west bank and gradually it grew to become a town. As for now it had became an important town because of its location, which is on the Asian Road, the capital of a township with departmental offices and a fair population.

N 130 Domestic Travels ( To Mogok )

The travels I am writing about are mostly what I took  long ago, round about 1990s when I was working as the principle of BEHS 2.It usually would be during Christmas ,or early summer holidays. Once we chose to go to Mogok,the famous ruby producing town.Beside that Mogok was a place we hadn't been ,there was another reason that we chose to visit it.Our niece  Nang Ku's ( Mya Win May )family was doing mining in Mogok and as their house is in Mandalay we had no problem of staying for the nights, either in Mandalay or Mogok.  

So as usual we gathered  people who would be going with us, relatives and friends. Most were relatives, including Nang Ku's parents and relatives who came down from Kunhing. I didn't remember well ,but I thought we travelled in two cars.The road from Taunggyi to Mandalay is 210 miles and smooth ,so we reached Mandalay before dusk fell and drove right to Nang Ku's house which is on the Mandalay Sagaing Road. 

N 133. Thingyan in Chiang Mai 2026

Days shift into months, months into years, and so our stay in Chiang Mai had extended to over 3 years, though we hadn't expected to stay this long.

We are Shan people of Myanmar, and like many Myanmar have taken refuge in Thailand at present. Though we are staying in Thailand, many are yearning to go back to our own country, to our own people, and to our own homes and customs.  But being not able to do so at present, we try to maintain a peaceful life, follow our customs as much as we can , especially Buddhist traditions, because most of us are Buddhists. 

Now.... the most anticipated festival has arrived. The Thingyan Festival, where water splashing over each other is the most significant and enjoyed by mostly young people, in Myanmar, Thailand, and some other countries. My husband and I are old people,so enjoying the water festival is out of the question for us. But we have to follow some other merit-making activities.

Welcoming Thingyan is one activity every household does in our country.  We usually fill an earthen pot with some herbs and plants that people think would bring us luck and at the same time ward off dangers and evil beings, with some flowers and decorated small umbrellas made of gold paper and triangular flags, and put it on an auspicious place for a few days.

And then every Shan household would make khou moon haw, a snack made with sticky rice powder and juggery, wrapped in a banana leaf and then steamed. This snack is made to offer to the Buddha and also to distribute to neighbours. Other merit-making activities include paying homage to elders, going to monasteries with offerings, pouring clean, fragrant water on Buddha statues, etc....But for young people, it is needless to say that they enjoy merry making of pouring water on each other, that this has come to be known as ' Water Festival ' the most important festival of the year....

Though merry making is not for us, I can still follow other traditions like going to monasteries with offerings. So I try to go to a monastery, even if not to many, without fail at Thingyan and Thadingyut. Chiengmai is a city with countless wats and pagodas, and monasteries. But we cannot go to Thai monasteries because offerings and blessings are in the Thai language that we don't understand. I learned that there are also many Shan monasteries where Shan people attend on auspicious days. I enquired from people who know and also search for them on the internet, and I have come to know some of them.

Until now, I had been to six   Shan monasteries, and I want to share them with friends who may want to know. This is also an English version of my Facebook post of yesterday...

1..... Wat Pa Pao.... there is an old  Burmese-style pagoda and some old buildings there, and it is in the centre of the city on the Canal Road. I think this is the best-known Shan monastery here...

2.....Wat Hsai Moan.... this is a Myanmar/ Shan monastery located on the Canal Road opposite Wat Pa Pao. The residing monk is from Myanmar, and Karen, Shan, and other ethnic people attended there. Once attending there, we encountered a festival, packed with people at its fullest.

3.....Wat Ku Man Mongkon  Chai....Situated on Doi Saket Road, the construction was still going on when we attended in 2024. We encountered a Shan novitiation ceremony there....I didn't notice the name of the monastery then, but got it only from the photo taken there. (Photos are of great use because they show not only the date, but also the place ) 

4.....Wat Ku Tao..... A Shan monastery with an exquisite pagoda like 5 watermelons stacked on one another. It is famous among the Shan people, and there are novitiating ceremonies every summer.

5....Wat Ta Gradat....Yesterday we attended this monastery. Learned about it from an acquaintance and the location from the net. The most significant building at this monastery is a prayer hall with a brick ladder decorated with big coiled dragons on both sides.

6....Wat Tiya Sathan.....Attended this monastery last Thadingyut.When we came out, our grandson Sai Ollie was nearly bitten by a dog. Not serious, but just a scratch with its teeth on one finger. But we were worried and hurried back to go to a clinic to get vaccinated, so we couldn't get photos except 2, which I took hurriedly.It is also from this photo that I got its name. After my Facebook post, a friend commented that this monastery was primarily built by a Shan man, U Tiya. 

As I have mentioned above, there are endless wats and monasteries in Chiang Mai. We believe we gain merit to go to monasteries with offerings because it is a kind of dana(giving ), which would be a help for a better next life. Besides this meeting and mingling with our own Shan people in our own dresses is also a pleasant experience. So  I will try to go to more Shan places of worship in the future if my health still permits me.....

Domestic Travel (To Pyay)

I like traveling. Within my lifetime beside some foreign travels I have done some satisfying domestic travels. Traveling started only when I was in University and then after I got working. When young we were not taken anywhere because our parents were not that kind of people to go places for leisure and also we lack the means for traveling.

While attending the Institute of Education, I joined 2 excursion trips with my class, 1 to Pyay, Srikhetaya and one to Bagan  Poppa. Unfortunately  the latter met an accident resulting in demise of 3 persons. It happened on the second day,at Poppa , when we were due to visit Bagan, that we didn’t get the chance to visit there ,but to go back to Yangon or to our respected homes.

I remember an incident which happened on the Pyay trip. One student by the name of AAM got possessed by some spirit at Po Oo Taung. When I came to notice she was tied with a scarf around her chest like  a nat or spirit. She was begging our teacher(lecturer ) U Soe Lin to let her go….Please saya… please let me go…..If she was allowed to go then ,maybe she would die on the spot,I thought.But who would say … U can go….Instead our teacher and some students might have been busy to drive away the spirit and make her well again. In the end all was well as AAM could come back to Yangon with the excursion group.

During my school years at Institute of Education  I went to visit Moulmein once with a friend from Moulmein.I could not recall vividly the places we visited ,but surely MML would have taken us to pay homage to famous pagodas ,which are plentiful in Moulmein and also to Kyaik Maraw and Kyaik Kami…

until next blog…..

 N 131 – Domestic Travels (to Shweli)

My eldest daughter Ying’s in-laws are from Mo Gyo Pyit village, located in Pyin Oo Lwin township. The elderly couple would often visit and stay with us in Yangon during the winter. The mother-in-law had a brother who was an abbot—referred to as “Na Sang”—residing at Loi Kyaung Seng Monastery in Shweli, across the border in China. Occasionally, the in-laws would travel to visit Na Sang and would invite us to join them on these trips.

The farthest I had ever been in Northern Shan State was Pyin Oo Lwin (formerly Maymyo). Since I had never been beyond that point—especially not to the border—I decided to join them on this trip. There was to be a novitiation ceremony around the full moon day of Tabaung, and since Na Sang had invited many family members and friends from Mo Gyo Pyit, a large group planned to go. I don’t remember how many cars we used, but I do remember the excitement and panic I felt while crossing the winding and treacherous Gokteik road.

After passing through many towns I was familiar with, we eventually reached Muse, where we spent the night. The next morning, after obtaining our passes to enter Chinese territory, we crossed the border gate. About an hour later, we arrived at Loi Kyaung Seng Monastery, perched on a hill above a Shan village.

Though it was already March, the weather was still cold. Fortunately, the monastery was well-prepared for guests, with piles of warm bedding. Villagers had been preparing food for days. In the lead-up to the ceremony, we were served simple dishes such as cabbage, mustard greens, and a soup made with samounsapa (စမုံစပါး), which was unfamiliar to us. Besides guests from Myanmar like ourselves, locals also arrived by the busload—not only from nearby villages but even from as far as Manshi city, about 60 miles away.

The people living in the area are Tai Nuer (whom we refer to as Shan Tayoke). While we share the same Shan language, their accent is quite different, often making it difficult to understand one another. Still, we managed to communicate, even if not every word was clear. Most of the festival attendees were elderly, predominantly women, all dressed in black clothing with matching black turbans.

The monastery grounds had turned into a vibrant festival area. There were stalls selling foods such as khou moon haw, khou moon larm, and other Shan snacks that reminded me of Kunhing. Vendors sold clothing, household items, and a variety of goods that attracted the crowds. Like many small festivals, there were also mini gambling stalls—roulette wheels and dice games betting on four or six animals. These were so tempting that it was hard to resist going near.

What impressed me most was the group dance performed by villagers in the monastery compound. Nearly everyone at the festival formed a large circle and danced to the rhythmic beat of drums and cymbals, moving in unison without breaking the circle. Most participants were women, and during the peak of the festival, there were several dancing circles. At the time, this style of communal dance wasn’t yet popular in our country—but in recent years, similar dances have gained popularity, especially to songs like Koan Kar… Koan Kar…

After the novitiation ceremony concluded and the young novices were robed in their thingan, the event came to an end. The next morning, Na Sang took us to visit Manshi. As mentioned earlier, the city is about 60 miles from Ruili, and it took us a while to get there. On the way, we stopped to pay homage at some pagodas with Chinese architectural styles. However, upon reaching Manshi, there wasn’t much to see. I had hoped to meet more of the black-clad Tai Nuer people, but it seems they could only be found in their villages. The townspeople were mostly ordinary Chinese residents dressed in casual attire. We had lunch near a bazaar and wandered around the market, which was rather quiet. Some shopkeepers had small tables set up in front of their shops where they played mahjong or card games.

After returning across the border to our guesthouse, we decided to explore a new destination. Instead of visiting Namkham, we chose to go to Kyu Kok Pan Saing, about 30 miles from Muse. In hindsight, this was not the best decision. As our cars traveled along the road, we didn’t see any people or other vehicles. The area seemed deserted. A sense of unease crept in, and although no one voiced it aloud, we all felt the same apprehension. Thankfully, our worries turned out to be unfounded—we arrived and returned safely. However, I remember nothing of the town itself, except for the simple fact that I had once been there.

The next morning, as I sat in the car for the homeward journey, I reflected on an experience filled with chilly memories and warm sensations. We had set out early, when the cold seemed to bite more sharply than it had the days before. Thankfully, I had a trusty pair of socks tucked away, offering a small but comforting warmth to an otherwise frosty morning.

After some time, we reached a roadside eatery in Hsenwi Township. By then, the sun had made its appearance, casting a golden glow over the buffet spread that awaited us. Simply being there seemed to melt away the lingering chill in the air, igniting our appetites.

The curries we indulged in were nothing short of delicious—a delightful fusion of Tai and Chinese flavors. Even now, the taste lingers in my memory. It’s this lingering warmth and richness that I want to capture in words, marking the perfect close to this blog.

N  130 Domestic Travels  ( To Mogok )

The travels I am writing about are mostly what I took  long ago, round about 1990s when I was working as the principle of BEHS 2.It usually would be during Christmas ,or early summer holidays. Once we chose to go to Mogok,the famous ruby producing town.Beside that Mogok was a place we hadn't been ,there was another reason that we chose to visit it.Our niece  Nang Ku's ( Mya Win May )family was doing mining in Mogok and as their house is in Mandalay we had no problem of staying for the nights, either in Mandalay or Mogok.  

So as usual we gathered  people who would be going with us, relatives and friends. Most were relatives, including Nang Ku's parents and relatives who came down from Kunhing. I didn't remember well ,but I thought we travelled in two cars.The road from Taunggyi to Mandalay is 210 miles and smooth ,so we reached Mandalay before dusk fell and drove right to Nang Ku's house which is on the Mandalay Sagaing Road. 

I don't remember much about Mandalay Mogok road except that it was not very good, with curves and bends,ups and downs. But I remember that we got excited when we knew that A Nyar Thihadaw Paya is situated on the way and we would visit it. It is in Khin Oo Township.When we reached there we had to cross the Irrawaddy river by  ferry because the famous Buddha statue is on an island. 

I knew something about this statue because I had been to Pakokku, Shwe Tan Tit Paya ,where there also is a statue like this there. Actually , I learned that there are three statues , carved from one  sacred tree trunk, with myths and legends surrounded them,which my rusty mind cannot retell. So beside these two I already mentioned the remaining one is at Shwe Kyee Myin Paya in Mandalay. The statues are believed to be very sacred and wishes fulfilled that they are valued much , that they are showered with valuable offerings like gold jewelries and guarded well.(There are also variations concerning the statues, but I am  writing only what I heard ) 

After our usual paying homage and donations were made we continued our tiresome journey until we reached our destination by dusk. We put up at a house U Yone Sein arranged for us. 

The next morning after we had eaten the famous  Mogok warm tofu we visited and paid homage to famous pagodas of Mogok, namely Chanthagyi Paya, Paungdaw Oo Paya,Daw Nan Kyi Taung, and Kyauk Pya That  Paya. Mogok is not a town built on flat land,but surrounded by hills and mountains. The views of the town from where the pagodas are situated are awesome  and can see parts of the town clearly. As for our group, photo taking was a thing that could not be resisted like elsewhere. Could  not remember what camera was used, as handphones were not common then ,but we surely took and saved some photos. 

Later in the afternoon U Yone Sein took our group to visit Merng Mit. I heard that the road to Merng Mit is rough, with many ups and downs. I am afraid that it would make me tired, so that I didn't go with the group. Now I am regretting that I had not gone there. Merng Mit is an important Sawbwa township with a long history. Its ruler Sao Khun Cho had also played an important role in   Shan State's post war history. 

The next day U Yone Sein took us to the Oo Paing workplace to observe how rubies and other gems are produced. The earth that contain the rough gems are excavated by machines like backhoes, or brought up from deep shafts or pits by labourers. This earth is washed down by power water hose and the residue  is scrutinized for gems.Because gems are small and can be stolen and hidden in the workers bodies, that security is tight and workers scrutinized thoroughly.

Mogok is world famous for the rubies, sapphires and other gems that it produced.The rough gems from workplaces went direct to gems bazaar called htar pwe, where cut and polished gemstones are also sold. Htar pwe of Mogok is not a grand place ,though  precious gems are sold. That is due to the coditions of our country and the mindset of the people in power. As nobody in our group were interested to buy gems we didn't go to the htar pwe. 

But I want to relate an incident concerning Mogok in the early  19 century. In 1906 Mr Reginald Lee from England came to Taunggyi with his family to take over Shan Chief School as its principle. While settling in Taunggyi this Englishman and his family did a lot of travelling, either by bullock carts or by walking.They even walked down to Nyaungshwe, which nobody did in those days.( Nang Nang ( Shan Pyay ) Moe Pyar out ka Thanlwin ) 

When they travelled they would take all they need for their comfort. Beside food they took tents, beddings, furnitures,or even bathtub for bathing. So they travelled in caravans of bullock carts for the family, and horses and mules to carry their things. 

Once they intended to travel to Mogok by the way of Loilem/ Merng Keung.They would have to replace their mules with a set of new  mules there. But when they reached Merng Keung the famous Pagoda festival was in full swing. No muleteer and mules could be hired in that condition,even by orders from the Sawbwa.So after waiting some days they had to turn back to Taunggyi. 

They did not give up their plan to visit Mogok. But the next time they went by the way of Mandalay through Maymyo to northern Shanland. So this time  they reached their destination successfully. According to the book they bought some rubies ,but not at htar pwe. One incident described how a man with worn out clothes came to their dwelling place to sell gems to them. He would took off his dirty turban, unfold it and from there a packet of rubies would appear. And then the hagging for the price would follow, and when agreed the buying and selling would come to an end.I am thinking if the rubies Mr Lee bought then were of good quality and were still in his descendants possession  they would be cradling a fortune now.

As we didn't have intentions to buy rubies or other gems , we didn't go to htar pwe. We were satisfied just to have visited the world famous Mogok. And so after staying two nights , we said Good bye to Mogok and started our return journey to Mandalay.