Cross cultural ventures

The crossing over from 2001 to 2002 also saw a unique project take place between two countries, which featured crossover of a somewhat different kind.
The 'Mexican-Myanmar friendship cross-country training program' for chefs from both nations was jointly organised by the Myanmar Chefs Association and the Culinario Instituto De Mexico. As a brainchild of chef Andreas Vogt, former secretary to the Myanmar Chefs Association, the program was conceptualised to equip Mexican final year students pursuing their Bachelor's Degree in Gastronomy with an eye-opening experience of Myanmar cuisine, culture and tradition. As one of the few countries in Asia still undergoing tourism development, Myanmar boasts a way of life that has been left culturally unchanged by outside influences. Commonly referred to as a 'white spot' on the tourist maps, the country is considered to be one of the last places where you can experience natural daily life as it is (and has been) for the natives.
The trip not only opened up the Mexicans to local Myanmar fare, but also to Thai, Chinese, Rakhine and Indian food, owing to the places where the Myanmar participants worked. In exchange, the Myanmar chefs involved could learn about popular Mexican dishes, new food items, and the creative uses for long established ones -like Mexican vegetables growing in Myanmar, but not commonly recognised as safe to eat, for example.
On the first day, the Mexicans visited the world-famous Shwedagone Pagoda in Yangon, (or the 'golden dome,' as described by writer Rudyard Kippling), and this was followed by an educational trip the day after to the biggest fruit & vegetable market in Myanmar to discover which ingredients could be 'borrowed' to compose a good Mexican meal.
Some exotic items brought over specially from Mexico for the Myanmar chefs included cactus leaves (nopal; ideal for a refreshing pickled salad), black corn fungus (lacoche; available two months a year in Mexico at very high prices), giant dry chillies (pasilla; good for a hot chilli paste), corn sprouts (pozolero; an ingredient for soups), a very red chilli paste for chicken called achiote, and of course the famous salsa verde, (pipian; green chilli sauce with roast pumpkin seeds.) A few of the more exciting herbs we learned about were the e pazote, which tasted slightly like Thai hot basil combined with menthe and anise, and the super-spicy hambanero chilli (known in Myanmar as the calaoodi).
At the Thirimingalar Market in Yangon, we discovered that most of the items found there were not very different from those found in the markets of Mexico. Green tomatoes for the salsa verde were looked over and bought on the spot. It was interesting to find out that chilli as an ingredient, so important in most Asian cooking, only arrived in Asia around 400 years ago from middle America, whereas the green pepper moved at roughly the same time from Asia to middle America!
A big Chefs Table was held on 19 January 2002 at The Strand in Yangon, to honour for the five Mexican chefs before they left for Mexico, and all things considered the whole program was great experience for everyone involved - a time of discovery, cultural fusion, and the creation of 'New Cuisine.' Many new international friendships were developed while working and also after-hours, at the Coconut Bar, Ngapali, aided by either Myanmar rum sour or Mexican mescal.
Our thanks for the support and cooperation of the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels & Tourism as well the Myanmar Ministry of Emigration. The tireless efforts of Mrs. Khin Khet Khet Khaing (Golden Key company, Myanmar) also deserve mention, and special thanks must go out to Senior Alejandro Sanchez Gonzalez (in charge for International Relations of Instituto Culinario De Mexico), The Bayview Beach Resort, Ngapali, The Traders Hotel Yangon and the Savoy Hotel Yangon.
Oliver Esser. Soe Thet President, the Myanmar Chefs Association