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Burma’s traditional sport is called "chinlone" (Kuch, 2023). In English, “cane ball” is a mixture of sport and dance, intended to be played more for performance than competition (Hananto, 2018).

Chinlone is said to have been a prominent sport for about 1500 years in Burma, entertaining royalty and being played by the Burmese kings (Hananto, 2018).

Chinlone is played with two teams of 6, involving five people in a circle with a solo player in the centre (Chinlone Europe, 2017). The centre player keeps the ball in the air using their legs and head while doing various techniques to impress (Chinlone Europe, 2017).

Chinlone is played by men and women of all ages, making the sport inclusive (Chinlone Europe, 2017).

References:

Chinlone Europe. (2017, November 11). Introducing Chinlone [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLSOjrtJ7I

Hananto, A. (2018, September 13). Meet Chinlone, A 15-centuries-old Sport of Myanmar. Seasia. https://seasia.co/2018/09/13/meet-chinlone-a-15-centuries-old-sport-of-myanmar

Kuch, M. (2023, December 1). Myanmar’s National Sport: Chinlone (7 Facts). Sports Foundation. https://sportsfoundation.org/myanmar-national-sport/

PentupPenny. (2010) Chinlone [Artwork]. DeviantArt.

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Burmese man wearing paso (Klier, 1845-1911)

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Traditional clothing in Myanmar is simple and comfortable (Stephen, 2017). Both men and women wear traditional flip-flop footwear and a cloth called “longyi” around their waist (Stephen, 2017).

Burmese clothing dates back to the 1750s and is worn by those high in power (Stephen, 2017). The clothing was even inspired by Indian clothing when Indian immigrants arrived in Myanmar (Stephen, 2017).

Longyi worn by men wear “Paso,” usually with designs portraying checks or stripes in dark colours (Liem, 2024). Longyi worn by women wear “Htamein,” and various patterns are displayed as colourful and bright (Liem, 2024).

Due to the comfort and ease of wearing longyi, it’s mainly worn by Burmese people daily (Liem, 2024).

References:

Klier, P. A. (1845-1911). A Burmese Man [Photograph]. Myanmar Photo Archive.

Liem, J. (2024, August 25). Traditional Dress of Myanmar – National Dress. Sonasia Holiday. https://sonasia-holiday.com/sonabee/burmese-longyi

Stephen (2017, June 28). Traditional Dress of Myanmar – National Dress. GoMyanmarTours. https://www.gomyanmartours.com/traditional-dress-myanmar/

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Mohinga topped with fritters (LM Travel Myanmar, 2017)

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The national dish of Burma is Mohinga (Paliwal, 2023). Mohinga is a kind of fish soup, a delicacy celebrated in Burmese festivals, and it represents Burma’s cultural significance (Remitly, 2023).

Mohinga was a popular dish among workers due to its low price, and over time, it became popular throughout Burma (EatSleepYangon, 2023). It became so popular that the earliest English mention was in a magazine in 1936 (EatSleepYangon, 2023).

Its main ingredients are rice noodles and fish, and its broth mainly consists of lemongrass, garlic, ginger, onions and banana stems (Remitly, 2023). It’s also often topped with a boiled egg, fried fritters and lime wedges (EatSleepYangon, 2023).

Recipe link: How to Make Mohinga (Burmese Fish Noodle Soup) - Fearless Eating

References:

EatSleepYangon. (2023, May 5). The Story of Mohinga [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abk0q44Iefc

Fear, C. (n.d.). How to Make Mohinga (Burmese Fish Noodle Soup). Fearless Eating. https://fearlesseating.net/mohinga-best-noodle-soup-ever/

LM Travel Myanmar. (2017). Myanmar Traditional Food, Mohinga [Photograph]. LM Travel Myanmar. https://lmtravelmyanmar.com/myanmar-traditional-food-mohinga/

Paliwal, S. (2018, February 2). Here's What You Need To Know About Burmese Cuisine. NDTV Food. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-burmese-cuisine-1798460

Remitly (2023, October 20). All about Mohinga: Meet the National Dish of Myanmar (Burma). https://blog.remitly.com/lifestyle-culture/nationaldishes-mohinga-fascinating-facts-myanmar-burma/#The_Origins_of_Mohinga

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In many ways, my love for the wonderful world of Southeast Asian soup recipes started with Mohinga back in 2007. Although I didn't know it at the time, this Mohinga recipe would inspire me to write my broth and soup cookbook, Fearless Broths and Soups.

So before I show you how to make Mohinga, let me share an excerpt from my book in which I explain why I consider Mohinga the greatest noodle soup EVER. I hope it inspires you to make the simple Mohinga recipe that follows!

A Serious Addiction

Back in 2007, I traveled to Burma (also called Myanmar) for two months. Now Burma might not seem like the most popular destination on the globe but the primary purpose of my trip was to deepen a Buddhist meditation practice, known as Vipassana, which I'd learned several years earlier. Burma is a deeply Buddhist country and though not well-traveled by many Westerners, offers many opportunities for the study and practice of meditation.

But meditation wasn't the only purpose of my trip. To be honest, I'm not the noblest of meditation practitioners. Too much meditation and I go a little stir-crazy. Being in a foreign place, naturally, I wanted to experience the country outside the confines of meditation centers.

Little did I know that the secondary intention of my trip, to travel and see the country, would lead to a serious addiction.

The first time I tried it in Yangon, I knew I was hooked. From that point forward, I could not start my day without it and I would do whatever it took to find the best sources.

On a few occasions, that meant wandering down a dark alley where few foreign travelers ever set foot and no English was spoken. The locals always knew why I'd come. Knowing head nods and sly smiles were the only form of communication needed.

But more commonly, to get my daily fix, it simply meant stepping right outside my hotel and getting it on the street.

Be it the cities of Yangon or Mandalay, small towns and villages, the sacred temples of Bagan, or even inside the meditation centers themselves, the source of my addiction was everywhere.

Mohinga.

What is Mohinga?

Mohinga is the national dish of Burma, a traditional Burmese fish soup with such exquisite flavors, that it's as if all the quintessential flavors of Southeast Asia come together in perfect balance and harmony. Though technically not a drug, in the Buddhist sense, where everything within the net of our senses can cause intense craving and desire, it's pretty damn close.

Mohinga starts with a fish broth. That may not sound very exciting but it's what's added to that broth that makes it so divinely delicious. Lemongrass, banana stem, ginger, garlic, and onions slowly simmer away and infuse the broth with both an herbal, lemony sweetness and a pungent earthiness. Fish sauce gives the broth a subtle-but-not-too-subtle fish essence and fresh local fish gives it all a hearty boost.

But that's only the beginning.

All of that sweet, sour, salty deliciousness is then ladled over rice noodles and then served with sides of fresh lime, dried red chilies, cilantro, thinly sliced red onions, and more fish sauce. You add as much or as little as you want depending on your personal tastes.

Soft boiled eggs, crispy fried onions, a crispy fish cake, and other herbs and spices are often part of the broth and accompaniments as well. Different areas of the country have different interpretations and ingredients. Yangon (formerly called Rangoon) Mohinga is slightly different that Mandalay Mohinga and so forth.

And in Burma, they primarily have it for breakfast. I would wake up with such a craving for it that I could barely function until I had my fill. It is hands down the best noodle soup I've ever had and if I ever go back to Burma, my primary purpose will be for Mohinga.

Spiritual enlightenment is now a distant second.

What It's Like to Eat Mohinga in Burma

Oh, how I wish I had a modern-day cellphone when I was there in 2007. My God the videos I would have taken! So I'll leave it to the well-known travel food blogger, Mark Wiens, to show you what it's like to eat this amazing Burmese breakfast in its country of origin.

Yes, eating Mohinga on the street is an experience. It's frenetic, it's loud, and the seating can be a little cramped!

I will say that Mark's bowl of Mohinga looks a little different than the ones I had. But again, every Mohinga recipe is different. That's the beauty of traveling for real food.

Let me also clarify two things in the video. First, Mark refers to the crispy cake-like thing as a "donut." It's definitely NOT a donut. It's probably some form of rice or fish cake, a common Mohinga ingredient. When it gets saturated with broth, it will lose its crispiness and can take on the consistency of a donut.

Second, towards the end, he says that "there's something starchy in there" when referring to the consistency of the broth. He guesses that it's potato starch. It's more likely toasted rice powder, rice flour, or garbanzo bean flour.

More Southeast Asian Recipes and Articles

How to Make Mohinga

I hope my little addiction story inspires you to try my Mohinga recipe. Now truth be told, I originally had no intention of including a Mohinga recipe in my cookbook. And that's because I'd never made it. For years, it intimidated me.

I knew there was NO WAY I could duplicate the real thing. For starters, I didn't have many of the local ingredients native to Burmese cuisine. For example, you'll never find banana stem in Western markets. And I knew I could never make the crispy fish cake correctly. So I thought for sure I'd be disappointed.

But I decided to experiment with a simplified version. This Mohinga recipe may not be "authentic" but overall, I actually thought it was pretty close to what I experienced in Burma. To be honest, I was thrilled with the results. Here's how to do it...

Step 1. Prepare the lemongrass

Many health food stores, like Whole Foods, now regularly carry lemongrass stalks. It's really not hard to find anymore. The top piece is a whole stalk. It's about one and a half feet long. Cut it in half so you have the middle piece. Trim off the end and then remove a few of the rough outer layers. Dice it into pieces as shown on the lower piece.

If you can't find lemongrass in stores, you can find fresh lemongrass on Amazon.

Step 2. Saute the lemongrass, onion, ginger, and garlic in coconut oil

Saute everything over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are fragrant and softened.

Step 3. Add the turmeric and roasted chili powder

Mix it into the veggies and saute for another minute or two.

Step 4. Add the fish broth

It should take on a nice deep golden-yellow color from the turmeric. Bring the Mohinga to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

For a good quality store-bought fish broth, I highly recommend Aneto Fish Broth.

Step 5. Add the garbanzo bean flour

Garbanzo bean flour (also called chickpea flour) looks somewhat similar to almond flour. It has a bit of a grainy texture. Simply add it to the Mohinga and stir it in. It may clump a bit. Stir it well and press some of the clumps against the side of the stockpot until it's dissolved. You can scoop out some of the broth into a small mixing bowl, mix and dissolve the flour, and then stir it back into the main pot.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until it thickens slightly. While the Mohinga is simmering, prepare the rice noodles according to the package directions. Regular rice noodles or rice vermicelli noodles are both fine.

Step 6. Add the fish

Whole catfish, chopped into chunks, is the most common species of fish used in Burma. You can use that but I think it's best to use a whitefish closest to where you live. I live in New England so I'm using fresh hake fillets. Any fresh or saltwater whitefish species will work fine.

Cut the fish into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Add it to the broth and simmer for about five minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Step 7. Season to taste

Add rice noodles to individual bowls. Ladle the Mohinga over the noodles. Add any of the optional seasonings, to taste. I highly recommend adding fish sauce, a squeeze of lime, onions, cilantro, and a hardboiled egg.

Step 8. Taste and drift off into brothy bliss!

Mohinga Recipe

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How to Make Mohinga (Burmese Fish Noodle Soup)

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Mohinga is a Burmese fish noodle soup. It is not widely known but it is incredibly delicious. Learn how to make a simple Mohinga recipe!

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One of the most common health concerns for Burmese refugees is tuberculosis (Denholm et al., 2018). A study in 2009 stated that 156 Burmese refugees were tested, and resulted in 70% of them with latent TB (endTB, n.d.).

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs and is spread through air transmission via cough, sneezing, or spitting (WHO, 2023). Myanmar struggles with overcrowding and poor access to health facilities, which all exacerbate the prevalence of TB (Aung et al., 2022).

Tuberculosis is split into two stages (Denholm et al., 2018):

LTBI (Latent Tuberculosis Infection)

Active TB

Treatment for TB is mainly effective in its latent stage and is recommended (Denholm et al., 2018). For those who are screened positive for LTBI, the first line of treatment is to take isoniazid for 6-9 months, 10mg/kg up to 300mg daily (Denholm et al., 2018). Isoniazid is an antibiotic that can cause adverse side effects such as rash and nausea (Denholm et al., 2018). This can be prevented by taking pyridoxine 6.25-25mg/day by age (Denholm et al., 2018). Treatment should be reviewed regularly to gain an understanding of treatment and side effects (Denholm et al., 2018).

References:

Aung, S. T., Nyunt, W. W., Moe, M. M., Aung, H. L., & Lwin, T. (2022). The fourth national tuberculosis prevalence survey in Myanmar. PLOS Glob Public Health, 2(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000588

Chaves, N. J., Gibney, K. B., Leder, K., O’Brien, D. P., Marshall, C., & Biggs, B. (2009). Screening Practices for Infectious Diseases among Burmese Refugees in Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15(11), 1769-1772. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1511.090777

Denholm, J., Bailes, M., & Francis, J. (2018). Tuberculosis (TB & LTBI). Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/tuberculosis-tb/

endTB (n.d.). Myanmar. https://endtb.org/myanmar

NIAID. (2010). Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteria, the Cause of TB [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/5149398656/in/photostream/

World Health Organisation (2023, November 7). Tuberculosis. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis

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Impact of Social Inclusion + Non-Discrimination

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Impact of Social Inclusion + Non-Discrimination

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References:

Ethnic Media Services (2024, January 23). Asian Health Services Offers Mental Health Support for Myanmar Refugees. https://ethnicmediaservices.org/stop-the-hate/asian-health-services-offers-mental-health-support-for-myanmar-refugees/

HealthWest TV. (2019, November 14). The Importance of Social Inclusion. [Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEPf2rxfgI

Kim, E. E., Alemi, Q., Stempel, C., & Siddiq, H. (2022). Health disparities among Burmese diaspora: An integrative review. THE LANCET Regional Health Southeast Asia, 8, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100083

Kim, W., Kim, I., Lin, L., Baltimore, K., & Lin, L. (2021). Social Determinants of Mental Health Among Karen Refugees from Burma. Community Mental Health Journal, 58, 749-760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00880-z

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Traditional Burmese herbs were used as treatment for illnesses (Chan, 2015)

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Myanmar mainly turns to nature for healing, with herbs and medicinal plants highly available and affordable due to its agrarian landscape (Chan, 2015). Health beliefs have also been practiced and followed for treatment and healing in Myanmar (Chan, 2015).

One of the health beliefs they follow is the “Nakkhatta method” (Myanmar Digital News, 2019). This method involves the inspection of the zodiacs of stars, planets, time of birth and age (Myanmar Digital News, 2019). Depending on these factors determine what diet the person should follow to live a healthy life (Myanmar Digital News, 2019).

References:

Chan, A. (2015, March 7). A Glance at Traditional Medicine in Myanmar. Myanmar Insider. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

Chan, A. (2015). A Glance at Traditional Medicine in Myanmar [Photograph]. Myanmar Insider. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

Myanmar DigitalNews (2019, March 7). Integrating Traditional Medicine into Primary Health Care of Myanmar. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

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Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds Competency Standards Framework for Clinicians

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Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds Competency Standards Framework for Clinicians

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Domain 1: Clinical Expert

Competency Standard 1.2 Reflection.

References:

Australian Library and Information Association (2010). Reflective Practice Writing Guide. https://www.alia.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/ALIA-Docs/Reflective-Practice-Vocabulary.pdf

Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS JANUARY 2019. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/competency-standards/about-the-standards/