Traditional Foods
in Chin State, Myanmar
Etui
Dried and pounded corn or fresh corn is firstly boiled together with mython meat or mython bones. Before it is cooked, ricebean, potato, pumpkin or pumpkin leaf, Anhling (local herb), bean leaf or favourite leafs are put into the broth. It is a real match to eat chillies, basil leaf or Phaih Phai leaf, pasted fish together with Etui. Vegetarians can also try Etui only with vegetables but not with meat. The cooking and ingredients of the Etui differ according to the Chin tribes.
Chicken Salad & Mython Salad
Chicken salad is mainly served at tribal ceremonies and it is one of the main curries at home in Southern Chin State. Chicken meat or mython meat is carved and split into pieces. Ginger, Phaih Phai leaf (local herb) and chillies are pounded separately. The chopped onion, pounded ginger, Phaih phai leaf and chillies are mixed into the meat by adding some salt to make chicken or mython salad.
Chin Coffee
Chin coffee plantation takes place mostly in Tedim, Mindat and Kanpelet townships. Chin coffee is such a type of Arabica which can be grown only in the high slit soils between 4,000-9,000 feet above sea level. There is no specific side effect of Chin coffee as it is organic in term of colouring and fertilizing. Chin coffee is enriched with unique smell and wonderful taste so it becomes a major attraction for coffee lovers. You can consume it at the cafe below-
Meh Buh
Meh Buh is not only served at the festivals but also it is a daily meal of the Southern part of Chin State. Mython meat, mython blood and rice are deliciously cooked together. It is necessary to stir the broth till the soup is enough. When the water becomes less, pounded ginger, chillies, onion or garlic, and phaih phai leaf are added into the soup. Mython meat or beef or chicken can be favourably added, too.
Pyar Hin (Ash Curry)
Pyar Hin (Ash curry) is one of the most popular curries in the Southern part of Chin State. The cork of corn (or) some yam leaves (or) banana leaves (or) millet stem (or) basil buds are dried and burnt to get the ashes. Those ashes are filtered with water which is used to cook with chicken, pork, mython or other kinds of meat in order to get delicious curry.
Sabuti
Sabuti is the traditional food of Chin people. It is the food every Chin tribe eats heartily. The main ingredients to cook Sabuti are corn and meat (beef or pork). The word “Sa” means “meat” and the “buti” means “corn broth”. Sabuti really match with minced chilli by adding tomato and onion, roasted mython, cabbage, coriander, and bitter eggplant. On the other hand, vegetarians can eat corn broth with peas, pumpkin and potato.
Chin Traditional Wine
“Wine” is a well-known product of Chin traditional food. People proudly enjoy grape, wild peach, and rhododendron wine at festivals. As the fruits are cleanly and purely fermented, Chin traditional wine is suitable for health and good for souvenir as well. Nowadays, coffee wine from coffee seeds is becoming popular among the locals and visitors.
Sailawn Rawl ( Round Tray Rice )
Enjoying Sailawn rawl (round tray rice) represents the unity, sharing and love of Chin people. In the round tray rice, many people can eat minced rice, boiled chicken, chicken salad, boiled pork, mython, other curries and pounded chillies putting together in the tray. You can consume it at the restaurants below-
Mython Steak @ Grilled Mython
Mython is the meat got only in Chin State. As a traditional food, mython meat salad is made with ginger, chilies, Phaih Phai leaf (local herb) and other spices as additional ingredients. It is sometimes grilled as a local food as well. Currently, the mython steak takes the place of beef steak among the locals and visitors in Chin State. You can consume it at the restaurants below-
Hakha Donuts
Hakha donuts are the most well-known and tastiest local product of Hakha. The main ingredients of Chin donuts are flour, sugar and eggs. The recipe of Chin donuts was taught as a lifelong inheritance by the last American Baptist Missionary couple, Robert G and Elizabeth Johnsons. Hakha donut is freshly made near Hakha Baptist Church, Old Bazaar block, Hakha, every day.
Sticky Rice (Sathluak)
Chin traditional sticky rice (Sathluak) was mostly served in traditional events such as Chin Traditional Day, seasonal events, weddings and festivities. The pork is boiled until tender and cooker the rice or the glutinous rice with the drained water of the pork. The cooking pot is stirred continuously to make it sticky. Sathluak is usually served with banana leave or the shell of banana tree. Nowadays it can rarely be seen only on Chin National Day and Festivities.
Pork Stew with figer millet
Pork Stew with figer millet is one of the most famous dish in Mindat. Figer millet is normally used for Khaung Ye (Millet Wine). For this cuisine, Figer millet is grinded to powder and cooked with pork. A very nutritious and tasty cuisine of Mindat. You can consume it at the restaurant below-
Chin Traditional Wine (Millet Khaung)
Chin Traditional Wine (Millet Khaung)
Chin traditional wine is a kind of alcoholic beverage and made locally from millet seeds, Rice and sticky rice. The taste of Chin Khaung is sweet, but a bit sour later. It tastes nearly the same with a mix of alcohol with grape juice and lemonade. Chin traditional wine plays a vital role in Chin culture. One boastful tradition is no refusal to the offer by the visitors when they are offered a cup of traditional wine by the host. In every festivals , Chin traditional wine becomes one of the most significant things to include.