About Burma

Burma – Culture, Food & Diets

Burma was the name of the Myanmar republic until the year 1989. It was the English version of the province’s name, being changed by the military government that took over in 1988. People, especially Europeans, still use the name of Burma for the republic and refer to its people as “Burmese”.

Being under British rule until 1948, the Burmese people always had a rebellious position to authority, forming guerilla groups in provinces like Karen or Kachin. Even after Great Britain’s departure in 1948, these groups caused anarchy among Burmese society. In these circumstances, Burmese culture had no opportunities to expand on its own.

To generalize Burmese culture, we could say it’s a combination of British, Indian, Chinese and Tibetan cultures and traditions. Actually, most of the Burmese population follows the Tibetan Buddhist Theravada School. Almost 90% of the inhabitants are Buddhists, therefore a cultural influence comes from China and Tibet.

Being an extremely religious society, the Burmese culture has the Buddhist monastery as the center point of the community. The shinpyiu is a strict tradition, where young boys try to imitate Gautama’s life and customs (Gautama being the founder of Buddhism and the first person to reach the state of Buddha). They enter the monastery at early ages and live a pious life, trying to achieve a higher state of consciences.

An interesting custom is the monastic tradition to beg for food from the villagers. The monks begin their day by making trips to every house in the village, holding a begging bowl in which villagers will place a daily ration of food, thus getting merit from the monks. The monastery life strictly forbids the monks to work or do any sort of physical labor; therefore this tradition is what keeps them alive. In case a villager doesn’t want to donate any food, he will be looked upon as a sinner and a spiritually poor man or woman by the rest of the village. He will most likely be avoided by neighbors and monks alike, for a good number of months or years.

The Burmese dress code deals with the hot climate of the republic. Both men and women wear skirts, except for those in the military, who wear long pants. The longyi is a wrap-around cylinder of cloth that is tucked in at the waist in one way by men and in another way by women. Male and female longyis also differ in the patterns printed or woven into them.

Burmese Food & Diets

Because 75-80% of the country has an agricultural population, the basic diet is also composed of vegetables and rice. Having a large coastal region, Burmese cuisine has a lot of recipes that contain seafood or fish.

Ngapi for example, is a sharp-tasting, salty paste made with fermented fish, shrimp or prawns and is used as a side dish to a lot of main courses. Another tasty dish is the Thok, a fruit and vegetable salad. Mohinga is a popular dish that combines rice noodles and a yellow fish soup. This is one of the most common menus you will find in Myanmar and could be considered the country’s national dish. Another favorite among locals and tourists alike is the Magyi-Ywet Thok, a tamarind leaves salad with a delicious taste. And as for desert, the Sui Gi Mok; a blend of cream of wheat, coconut milk, and poppy seeds.

Although it’s not very famous, the Burmese cuisine is winning more and more fans around the world. It’s exotic, diverse and colorful, exactly what fancy restaurants like to serve, everywhere in the world.

Having the face of a struggling nation that constantly yearns for peace and stability, the Myanmar (Burma) republic is individualizing with each passing day. A Buddhism-based culture is starting to grow in these harsh conditions and civilization is slowly blending into this country, especially through its main cities: Mandalay, Yangon, Monywa, or Dawei.

More about Burmese Culture Other Regional Links:
 * More about this country on WikiPedia.com
 * Burmese Travel Guide - Travelguidewiki.com


 * Burmese Fashion - Wikichic.com

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