Meeshay, is a Burmese dish of rice noodles mixed with meat sauce. It is a specialty of the Shan people of Eastern Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

. Regional variants exist but two main types, the normal meeshay and the Mandalay

Mandalay

Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....

 version, are the most popular.

The meat sauce is mainly made with pork and/or chicken. All forms of Meeshay may be accompanied by Mohnyin tjin

Mohnyin tjin

Mohnyin Tjin, is a popular Burmese fermented foodstuff made of vegetables preserved in rice wine and various seasonings. Similar to Korean Kimchi, the delicacy is popularly associated with the Shan, as it is an ubiquitous condiment for Shan dishes, such as Meeshay and Shan khauk swè.The name means...

 (a popular Shan pickle made of mustard greens, carrots and other vegetables fermented in rice wine) and clear soup usually of chicken stock with spring onions. Another common side dish to meeshay is fried Burmese tofu

Burmese tofu

Burmese tofu is a food of Shan origin and is different from Chinese tofu in that it is not made from soy milk and not set with a coagulant. Shan tofu is produced in a similar fashion to polenta, with its primary ingredient being water and flour ground from yellow split peas and the Burmese version...

 fritters.

Shan / Mogok meeshay

In the original dish of meeshay, also called Mogok Meeshay, the meat is cooked in a light sauce with onion, and is mixed with rice noodles. Alongside the meat sauce, a brown tangy rice flour gel with cane or rice vinegar, a dressing of soy sauce, fried peanut oil, chilli oil, and a garnish of crisp fried onions, spring onions and coriander are also added. A similar dish with tomatoes, called Shan khauk swè, is a 'soup version' without the gel, and fish sauce instead of soy sauce, with flat or round noodles, where the soup is part of the dish itself, rather than as consommé.

Mandalay meeshay

Mandalay Meeshay , a more eleborate dish, uses medium rice noodles and has a thicker, oilier meat sauce. A thicker rice flour gloop is added. It is dressed with fried peanut oil, salted fermented soybeans and chilli oil, then garnished with blanched bean sprouts, pickled daikon, fried batter, crushed garlic and coriander. As the name suggests, the dish is a regional variation from Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city with a rich Shan cultural influence.

Myay-oh meeshay

Myay-oh Meeshay (lit. Claypot Meeshay) is a Yunnanese inspired dish, in which the rice noodles are cooked in a clay pot. The dish has a greater quantity of soup and includes fresh vegetables.

Popularity

Although a distincitly Shan dish, meeshay is popular in the major towns across Myanmar(Burma). Special restaurant chains devoted to Shan dishes are popular in Yangon

Yangon

Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...

 where meeshay is one of the top choices amongst customers.

Meeshay and other Shan dishes, rich and comparatively bland (without the optional chilli flakes) due to the Highland culture of the Shan people, are seen as novelty food for typical city and town dwellers, as they present a deviation from typical Burmese cuisine dishes. It is a popular breakfast, brunch and light lunch option for many folks in Myanmar's cities and towns.

See also

• Cuisine of Burma
• Nan gyi thohk
  Nan gyi thohk
  Nan gyi thohk, is a Burmese dish consisting of thick round rice noodles mixed with specifically prepared chicken curry. It has been equated as a Burmese version of spaghetti....
  
  
• Ohn no khao swe
  Ohn no khao swè
  Ohn no khao swè is a Burmese dish consisting of wheat noodles in a curried chicken and coconut milk broth. The dish is often garnished with crisp fried bean fritters, sliced raw onions, chillies, crisp noodles, and slices of hard-boiled egg, and zested with lime or lemon juice and fish sauce.Due...
  
  
• Mont Di
  Mont Di
  Mont Di is a collective term for dishes made with thin rice noodles. Mont Di vermicelli are used fresh, as it ferments quickly in Myanmar's tropical climate. There are a number of Mont Di dishes in Burmese cuisine but Rakhine Mont di of the Arakanese of western Myanmar is the most popular...
  
  
• Shan Inspired Burmese Dishes