Myanmar's national breakfast: a thin, deeply savoury fish and lemongrass broth thickened with toasted rice, poured over rice noodles.
Breakfast on every street
Mohinga is widely considered the national dish of Myanmar and is eaten above all at breakfast, sold from street stalls and by vendors carrying the whole apparatus — pot, stove, noodles and garnishes — on a shoulder pole.
It is available at any hour in cities, but the tradition is firmly a morning one, and many people eat it several times a week.
Regional versions differ considerably. Coastal areas make it with more fish and a thinner broth; inland versions are often thicker, and the choice of thickener and garnish shifts from town to town.
The broth
The base is freshwater fish — catfish is traditional — simmered until it falls apart, then flaked and returned to the pot so the broth is dense with it rather than merely fish-flavoured.
Lemongrass is the dominant aromatic, along with ginger, garlic, shallot, turmeric and fish sauce. Banana stem or tender banana pith is a classic addition, contributing texture and a mild, slightly starchy flavour.
Thickening is done with toasted rice powder and often chickpea flour, giving the broth its characteristic body — thinner than a stew, thicker than a clear soup.
Assembling a bowl
Thin round rice noodles go in the bowl and the hot broth is ladled over. Everything after that is garnish, and the garnishes are what make the dish.
Standard additions include crisp fried split-pea fritters broken over the top, a wedge of hard-boiled egg, sliced banana stem, coriander and spring onion.
On the table sit lime wedges, dried chilli flakes and fish sauce, and diners adjust each bowl themselves. The crunch of the fritters against the soft noodles and thick broth is central to the experience, so they are added at the last moment.
