Laphet Thoke-Burmese Tea Leaf Salad 

Whenever my mother moves her hands to give the pickled tea leaves a perfect mash, blending them with fresh beans, sliced tomatoes, and peanuts, I feel like it’s never a dull experience to go through. The oily scent it gives is such a pleasant drift to my nose, making it tempting to take a small bite of the tea leaf salad. This is originally Burmese food, so in the native language, it’s called “Laphet Thoke.” This is one of the most popular snacks eaten in the streets of Yangon and Mandalay—the two largest cities in Myanmar—but it’s still eaten in other parts of the country and even the world. The peanuts are crunchy enough to make the taste buds flip insanely, and I would especially recommend this to those who are huge tea lovers. The peanuts have the right amount of texture—neither too hard nor too fragile. Anyone who’s willing to put on their gears to give this try, I’d say go for it. 

Shan Noodles 

I would definitely rate this dish 5 out of 5 stars all because of that smooth slurp you can do with the noodles. It’s easy enough to twist and fly them into your mouth. The dish is made with meat, tomatoes, different soy sauces, vegetables, and other seasonings such as salt and pepper. This food originated from Shan State, Myanmar, but it’s also common in other parts of Myanmar. Personally, I love how the chicken—which was the meat that I had in my first try of Shan noodles—added so much appetizing flavor, making the combination of all the ingredients well-mixed. This is my number one favorite Burmese dish of all of the ones that I’ve tried before. This recipe can also include many different variations.

Burmese Fried Rice With Yellow Beans 

I am in love with how the beans are steamed really well with the rice being warmed up nicely. This doesn’t involve any seasoning or other ingredients except oil. But sometimes, it can be fried with eggs, and you can even put other side dishes along with it like meat or sauce. However, I like eating the fried rice alone with the eggs. This is one of the most delicious meals, and anyone that tried it would remember it forever.

Nan Gyi Thoke-Burmese Noodle Salad 

My taste buds have been aching for the noodles as well as the seasonings that are added along with them. The flavor is such a heartfelt moment of feeling like I’m eating fresh noodles with all of the ingredients blended into one whole food. The sliced eggs were sucking in through my mouth, and I could taste the fluffy texture of them. The noodles are soft and tender, making it savory, and I’ve made an attempt to keep on slurping all the noodles at once. I’ve only tried this once, and I was at a picnic event with the people who go to my church. Since that was my first time being about to take a shot of it, my stomach was already grumbling, and I knew that the noodles were going to solve the noise. Because of how much I loved it, it solved my hunger.