Myanmar Snapshots 2: Rural Markets
I love examining local markets when visiting a new place. Among the most exciting ones I have visited were those in a very remote town in Papua New Guinea (see Daru Island – Market Scene) and, of course, those in Myanmar. I have recently written about the reason behind my fondness for visiting rural markets and how it’s similar to my morning addiction to freshly brewed coffee (see Coffee and a Rural Market Scene). Of course, I have visited a number of rural markets in Myanmar and I have noticed these three things that are most common among them.
The good old beam balance is an instrument I thought was long gone until I found out that it is still widely used in perhaps all rural markets of Myanmar. By my estimate, it will probably take some time before the digital scale would be able to convince rural folks of its credibility.
Chili pepper of all sizes, shapes and colors would most probably be present in any rural market of Myanmar, giving the visitor a hint of the food flavor he/she will encounter in homes and restaurants. While processed or ground chili are also available especially in cities and urban centers, fresh or dried chili appears to be the preferred option among rural folks.
It’s not unusual for a foreigner to encounter ‘culinary curiosities’ in Myanmar’s rural markets. In Kawhmu township just outside of Yangon, this lady displays dressed field rats among the items she’s selling.
The drag of endless mental work in a strange land takes its toll. Fatigue can kill so petty escapades provide hopeful deviations from the brewing madness. An aging DSLR keeps good company to a walk around the neighbourhood, a short drive to a scenic place, or a silent recollection in a quiet nook granting that the host community and the elements of nature would allow one a safe passage to solitude and contemplation. Loneliness quickly turns to joy when something exciting gets captured by the cam’s shutter then set free into the laptop’s screen followed by electric words that rush from the fingers to the keyboard in an effort to describe the moment. Alas, the brain is alive once again!
Another world so far removed from our western delicacies! Would you be up to sampling any of those culinary curiosities? I imagine dressed field rat would be rather an acquired taste?
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Hmm.. I was prepping myself to try it but my own local chaperone discouraged me from even considering it so I got an excuse this time. 🙂
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🙂 think i would have drawn the line there as well.
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I love the photos you have taken! What was the food like in New Guinea?
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It depends on where you’re looking, I suppose. Rural markets would definitely have exotic ones to offer. Hotels and restaurants in urban centres would have some of the regular choices. Planning to go to PNG?
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