Historically, the people of Myanmar are not big drinkers and, although this is changing, teahouses are still the go-to place for social gatherings. Pickled vegetables, bamboo shoots and tea leaves feature prominently in Burmese dishes, as well as fish and seafood from the country’s numerous lakes and extensive coastline. Burmese food generally features more sesame, nuts and beans in the north, and fish paste and sour flavours in the south. Like in Thailand, India and China, rice is the cornerstone of most meals and curries are common, though typically more oily and less spicy.
Despite these hardships, many country-dwelling Burmese are hospitable, content and quick to call new friends ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.īurmese cuisine shares many similarities with neighbouring southeast Asian countries. Families are large and tend to live in thatched huts that lack running water and electricity. Astrology is commonly used to find a partner and choose important dates, like weddings, funerals and celebratory events.Ībout three-quarters of the population live in the country, where poverty is still common and labour is arduous. Most villages have a nat sin, or shrine, to honour the village’s guardian nat, and you’ll likely see car mirrors adorned with red and white cloths, which are believed to offer nat protection. Regardless of religion, many Burmese mixes their religious beliefs with nat (spirit) worship and are deeply superstitious. The rest of the population is Hindu, Muslim, Christian or animist. Though Millennials are starting to challenge this standard of dress, everyone still covers up when visiting religious sites. Shorts, if worn, should reach the knee and shoulders should be covered. Buddhist men are expected to take the robe twice in their life, monks are revered and the dress is expected to be modest. The majority of people in Myanmar are Buddhist, which has a unifying effect on this diverse country as religion plays an important role in daily life. Ethnic groups fall under Bamar, Shan, Mon, Kayin, Kayan, Chin, Kachin and Rakhine. With 135 distinct ethnic groups calling Myanmar home (though many still refer to it as Burma), this historically volatile nation comprises a patchwork of customs, traditions and languages.
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