Episode 113: Burmese Cuisine with Naomi Duguid

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Canadian food writer Noami Duguid, who has authored seminal books such as Seductions of Rice and Burma: Rivers of Flavor. Tune in and hear what its like being an outsider in a foreign land and how Noami navigates cultures and communities to learn about the cuisine that lives amongst them. Find out how the politically oppressed people of Burma operate in their kitchens what makes their food simultaneously accessible and unique. From fish paste to garlic, discover the layered flavors of Burma and the delicious dishes that come from them. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. Im always a beginner - wherever I am. I will never be an expert. All Im trying to do is get my head in a place where I have some understand of what grows there, how people think about their food, how things are made, whats important to them and whats not important of them. [3:43] I didnt want to talk about the people of Burma as victims because we think of victims as less than whole. [9:00] In Burmese culture, people use tea leaves in salad. They ferment them, use them fresh or dried. [21:00] My problem with breakfast in Burma is there are so many things I want to eat! [26:50] Food is an entry point - its a way of understanding how things work. [28:30] -- Noami Duguid on A Taste of the Past