Always bananas and now mangoes galore

By Gordon…

Myanmar grows about a dozen varieties of bananas.

Sonia, coming from a banana farm background, is charged with purchasing the correct ‘ type’ for our breakfast from the local market.

The phee gyan variety is chubby and can be used for desserts while the smaller nann tha pu bananas is great for a snack.

Sonia has even frozen random bananas into icy treats. They come with their own biodegradable wrappers!

Lei Thar Gone guesthouse (a special place about 2 hrs from us) makes a creamy banana butter which is delicious on their home baked wholemeal toast.

Mango season is now also upon us (April until June). The fruit and vegetable market is becoming punctuated with various shades of green to yellow as farmers sell this very popular fruit.

Mango is also included in a popular local rhyme “A thee ma, thayet; a thar ma, wat; a ywet ma, lahpet”. “Of all the fruit, mango’s the best; of all the meats, pork’s the best and of all the leaves, lahpet’s the best”.

Our roving door to door farmer has also started to include mangoes in her baskets.

One of the best varieties is called sein tha lone (one diamond) which has a balance of sweet and sour.

We like to eat our mangos plump and ripe.

In Myanmar they also enjoy mangoes while still green – served as a sour snack with chillies.

Our neighbours have a small mango tree which is laden with fruit. We have been watching the fruit form In anticipation.

While chatting to Myo Khai and his Mum the other day, we were offered some of the green fruit. I think we’ll wait until they become more golden.

Tonight we ‘helped’ Sanon test a few new menu items… The lentil and acacia leaf soup, crunchy ginger salad and a blue curaçao cocktail were all fabulous.

Do I enjoy volunteering in Myanmar and living in my patch?

Yes, I do.