Chefs compete for best Mohingar in Myanmar

WITH a view of Shwedagon Pagoda shining in the early morning sun, hundreds of guests gathered at the Yadana People’s Park field to partake in Myanmar’s sixth annual Mohingar Food Show and Competition on May 8.

Mohingar, a noodle and fish-based soup, is considered the national food of Myanmar. Therefore the competition, under the theme ‘Myanmar National Races Mohingar’, put Mohingar recipes from across the country to the test.

Bagan, Mandalay, Rakhine, Hinthada delta, Mawlamyine, Salon and Yangon were all represented.

This year’s competition represented a “union of Mohingar”, said Mr Oliver E.

Soe Thet one of the event’s organisers and the president of the Myanmar Chef Association.

He said that the competition, which began in 1998, was intended to raise funds for charity, create international awareness about Myanmar’s most traditional food and gather Myanmar people and guests from many different social groups.

Daw Saw Mon Nyin, another organiser, said that preparing for such kind of competition was not easy. Nonetheless, she seemed happy to be a part of the festival.

“I can’t pass a day without having a bowl of Mohingar for my breakfast,” she said. “I am Mohingar crazy.”

Guests to the event received tickets and then went around to the nine booths trying the Mohingar for themselves.

After testing an assortment of different recipes, one Myanmar woman said:

“This festival shows the pride we have in our Myanmar food. [In addition to foreigners] we – the Myanmar people – have been looking forward to this one.”

The judging criteria for the competition included taste, cleanliness and presentation, said Mr Oliver. To appeal to the eyes of the audience and judges, each restaurant or hotel decorated their stall well. Summit Parkview hotel’s stall included a large, colourful ornament with little vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage and beets attached. The Grand Plaza Parkroyal hotel decorated the trays holding their rice noodles with red and green chili, coriander and onion shoots. They also had trays of boiled eggs, gourd fritters, fried bean and fried freshwater herring.

As the morning went on and sun became stronger, more and more visitors crowded at each booth. Some stood around, contemplating over which recipe to try. Others spotted an unusual option and rushed to queue while shouting, “Ah…Salon Mohingar! Sounds interesting!”

The Salon stall, organised by U Tin of Roof Top restaurant, won second place in the Myanmar National Races Mohingar 2004. It also won the Myanmar Chefs Association’s innovation prize for creating a New Mohingar as well as for promoting and building awareness about a national race.

U Tin’s stall, with its large boat and mollusk shells, was intended to look similar to a Salon village.

“Mr Oliver asked me to participate in the national races Mohingar, and I had a brainwave to create Salon Mohingar,” he said. “Actually, it came from my imagination and creation. I bought the seawater from the fishing trawlers and the sea fish, such as the golden hued pike conger, to cook with. I found that the taste was wonderful and more delicious because I used the seawater.

“If we can develop more and more,” he continued, “Salon Mohingar will be as famous as other kinds of Mohingar. I’m quite sure.”

First place in the Myanmar National Races category went to Ma Sandy of Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine for her Inle Mohingar booth, which consisted of an Inle-style thatch hut and cane sieve decorations. The servers also wore traditional Inle costume.

Ma Sandy said she chose this recipe because she is originally from Shan State. Instead of using the fish sauce typical to other regions, she used salt, banned snakehead fish, tomatoes and freshwater herring. Sticking with Shan tradition, she also served Shan rice and fried cow hide to eat with the Mohingar.

Ma Sandy was the star of the morning – she also won All Over Winner 2004, A Taste of Myanmar 2004 and Best Taste.

Third place in the Myanmar National Races category went to Sedona Hotel for their Mandalay Mohingar. Summit Parkview hotel won Best Personnel and Staff Hygiene 2004. Traders hotel won Best Shop and Food Hygiene 2004. Grand Plaza Parkroyal hotel won Best Food Presentation and Display 2004, and Savoy hotel won the Most Sold Mohingar.

Despite the sizzling sun, trying a variety of Myanmar’s national food was a sensuous delight. But perhaps the best part about the event was that the Myanmar Chefs Association and Friends invited to the competition close to 400 disabled people from schools, hospitals, traning centres and orphanages in Yangon. During the event’s two days, they also sent about 2000 portions of Mohingar to charity organisations. Indeed, Mohingar is for everyone.