What we Eat in Myanmar - Part 1

If you read my post about some of the various foods we have been offered over here you're probably wondering what the heck we actually eat over here? 

I'm actually surprised at the many foods the grocery stores here offer. When I moved to Korea I went into a food panic and would order an entire pizza for myself thinking I'd never see Western food again. To top that, we asked for black beans from people back home and received TWENTY SIX bags of black beans. It was epic and we were known as the black bean girls. If you are wondering who 'we' is you should just go read this fun post! 

Anyways, I'm really off topic but I did have a purpose in writing what I just did. When I went to Korea it was hard to figure out food but this time in Myanmar I haven't been as stressed about it. 

Cooking at home is still very very different than in the States but it is still really great. I love being in the kitchen. It's a place where I can wind down and relax. 

Today I'm sharing where we get groceries from. BUT before I do I have to tell you that my friend Pam helped me figure groceries out! She has lived here for 10 years and she took me to each of these places (including the grocery stores in Thailand) and showed me the good products verses the bad ones. She has had ten years of trying out products so I feel very very blessed that she passed on her knowledge to me. I'm positive that her help has saved me from crying many times over. 

Where we Get Groceries: 

1. The Market Across Our Street 

This market is where I get all the fresh fruit. Dave and I walk through here on a daily basis so we often pick something up to go along with our lunch for the day. I also love that I can sit on my balcony and scout out for good mangoes. =) I promise I'm going to post more about the market one of these days. It's on my to do list but I just feel weird walking around the market taking pictures of everyone and everything.

I'd like to say that even though the market has fresh fruit and although I am super super thankful for that market some days it's hard to even walk through there. Many times it is super crowded with people, you get a big whiff of the fermented fish paste, it can be grimy and I even saw a rat once which made me want to fall on the floor screaming with panic. BUT then I'd be on that floor. So I just kept walking, quickly.  

The best part about the market is interacting with the locals! They are so helpful and will help me get fruit that I can eat that same day or in a day or two. 

2. Sein Gay Har

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That is the name of the grocery store directly below our condo. It is a real life saver. 

The grocery store is a local one and does not have a huge variety of western options. It does have milk, rice, bread, rice, eggs, rice, coffee, rice, paper products and other basic items. 

They also have a cute aisle full of tea cups. It's fun! 

I have looked at meat in this store and my eyes just get real big and I walk away. 

3. City Mart

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Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

My heart was so happy when I walked into this store. It is basically like an American & Asian grocery store! 

Here I can get chicken, ground beef, ground pork and other meats from a deli. It's really good quality. and I buy meat for 1 month a time. This grocery store is a ways away so I stock up when I can. 

The chicken here comes with the skin on it and sometimes the quills, which kind of grosses me out. Dave and I usually eat 8 chicken breasts for the whole month and I try to buy all the chicken at one time. I then take it home, wash it, cut it up, place it into ziploc bags and put it in the freezer. 

I was thinking "How in the world do we only eat 8 chicken breasts a month?" and I figured it out. I cut each chicken breast in half (they are large), dice it and that is meat for one meal. So I guess essentially we are each eating 1/4 of a chicken breast at a meal. That doesn't sound like a lot but we are satisfied. 

4. Thailand

Yep! You read that correctly! When I come to Thailand I buy some groceries. So far I have bought steel cut oats (sooo good!), cereal, bacon, cheese and a few other items. 

How do I get the bacon and cheese back to Myanmar? Well I freeze them in the little freezer at the hotel, stick it in my suitcase right when we leave and then throw it back into the freezer when I get back to Myanmar. The flight is only 45 minutes so food is only semi thawed when I get back. And frankly, if I bring bacon back I'm eating it! I don't care if it thawed and refroze a few times. 

That is a quick recap of where we get groceries from. It is a lot more work than in the US because we have to carry everything by foot or it all goes in a taxi. Really though, I'm just glad we have food options.

I'm hoping to share more pictures from the grocery store as well as some other foods we can purchase here. I think it is interesting so hopefully you will too.