Burma

Starred review from September 17, 2012
Duguid’s latest culinary immersion unveils food customs from Burma (Myanmar) where more than a century of civil unrest and decades of seclusion hid a remarkably enduring culinary tradition. Duguid (Toronto-based author of award winning Flatbread and Flavors and Hot Sour Salty Sweet) opens a doorway into modern Myanmar life now characterized by budding optimism and increased accessibility. As a culinary educator in Thailand for 30 years, Duguid eventually traveled to neighboring Burma. In this collection of 125 recipes, she creates a treasury of Burma’s cuisine where Asian, Indian, and Western colonial culture intersect. There is information on how to plan a Burmese meal and how to stock a Burmese pantry with basics: turmeric, shallots, dried shrimp powder; ginger, lime, lemongrass, chile pastes, and curries make for a vibrant, aromatic cuisine. Silky Shan soup, which yields a chickpea-thickened breakfast comfort food, fish stew with aromatics, and coconut sauce noodles with chicken are characteristic “meal-in-a-bowl” Burmese fare. Duguid’s portrait of Burma’s rich food heritage contains vivid glimpses of the people who create it along with cultural insight and a dash of travel advice. It transports readers to an imaginary world in their own kitchens. A colorful immersion into the daily market and table of the Burmese people, this volume is an invitation to celebrate the Burmese people and their transformation.