Fish sauce is essential to Burmese cooking, similar to Thai fish sauce, nam pla. The Burmese version is slightly stronger without being pungent. A good fish sauce is said to be ‘a clear, reddish brown colour, like the colour of good whisky or sherry, without any sediments. It has a pleasant aroma of the sea, not an overwhelming fishiness, and should not be overly salty.
Thai fish sauce, salt for vegetarians
Supermarkets, Asian stores
Made from ground chickpeas, chickpea powder has a slightly grainy texture compared to chickpea flour. When roasted, it has a nutty…
Bamboo leaves are sold dried and require pre-soaking to make them pliable before use. The broad leaves which impart a unique…
Traditionally packed in an earthenware jar, preserved cabbage is also known as Dong cai. The preserved cabbage is made…
Both the leaves and roots of coriander are used in Burmese cooking. It imparts a distinctly strong flavour with an earthy taste…
