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
The drying process concentrates the flavours of chillies. You’ll find an array of dried chilli varieties, each offering its distinct level of heat…
Bombay duck, despite its name, is a type of dried fish also known as bummalo. The fish are hung on racks and dried in the sun…
A fragrant and versatile wrapping which imparts a unique aroma to rice or fish. Street vendors use it to wrap or serve food…
Both the leaves and roots of coriander are used in Burmese cooking. It imparts a distinctly strong flavour with an earthy taste…
Eggplant has to be one of my favourite vegetable. Roasted or chargrilled then made into a spicy salad or slow-cooked…