The exhilaration of riding in a hot air balloon over the prairies of Myanmar at sunrise and absorbing those amazing views of the pagodas and temples of Bagan would have kept me content for weeks, but that day, the wonders just kept unfolding.
Our vintage busses took us on a long and winding ramble over the rough dirt roads of Myanmar as we all shared and savored our Balloons over Bagan experience.
https://splendidmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_1256-1.movWhen we finally came to a stop we were in a giant peanut field set with teak tables dressed with traditional Burmese cloths.
The warm and knowledgeable chef from The Ananada Sanctuary and his crew had set up an incredible breakfast buffet, which allowed me to experience my most favorite dining situation, “Elegant Food in a Rustic Setting” {and alfresco!!} Don’t you think food just tastes better in a more casual, natural setting, as opposed to in a a formal dining situation? I do, so I was giddy as to be and continued to savor every moment of that day.
Flutes of chilled champagne were passed as we approached the tables.
The highlight of the meal was Mohinga, the traditional breakfast soup of the region. It is so complexly flavorful, I ordered it every chance I could on that trip.
The chef actually taught us how to make it in a cooking demonstration on board one day, so I will share his recipe with you at the bottom of the post. You can also find other versions of this breakfast brew on~line which call for ingredients that might be easier to find in the western world.
It consists of a flavorful fish broth made with white fish filets, chickpeas, lemongrass stalk, garlic, shallots and water. Which is served with Mohinga noodles {dried rice vermicelli}, and garnished with fresh coriander {cilantro} sprigs, crispy fried garlic, a hard boiled egg, pea crackers, dried chili flakes and lime juice.
Blended into the soup is a chili paste {dried chilis, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots and shrimp paste}. Turmeric powder, chickpea powder, toasted rice powder, fish sauce, shallots and banana flower also get involved. So, you can see why the flavor is so complexly intriguing.
Here is a shot of the last bowl of Mohinga I enjoyed at the Mandalay International Airport, so you can see each of the garnish components separately.
I’ll bet there are some flavorful bowls of Mohinga being brewed up in these outdoor kitchens we soared over on our balloon ride. I just loved having a birds eye view of the rural lifestyle of Bagan, including the Ox drawn cart and the friendly waves and smiles.
placeholder://Happy Summer!
Here’s to enjoying as much elegant food in as many rustic settings as we can!
Here’s the recipe for Mohinga:
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