One of the joys of visiting Myanmar is taking tea break - tea is such a big part of the social culture in Myanmar. Read more here: http://migrationology.com/2014/08/11-things-to-do-in-yangon-myanmar/
On my first trip to Yangon, Myanmar, I immediately noticed how tea was an important part of the culture. Everywhere you walk, you’ll see people sitting on small plastic stools, socializing, doing business, watching tv, and just hanging out with colleagues, friends, and family, while drinking tea. At nearly every time of the day, from morning until late at night, you’ll find local people drinking tea.
As a tea drinker myself, I quickly fell in love with the friendly Myanmar culture of drinking tea and socializing, all while sitting on tiny plastic chairs and tables. When you arrive at a tea stall in Yangon, they will immediately serve you a pot of Chinese tea - that’s the standard in Myanmar - no matter if you sit down at a restaurant or stall, you’ll be served hot tea. What I learned on my first day in Yangon, years ago, is that tea is served for free, so it’s intended that you’ll then go ahead and order something else while you sit there.
You can choose to drink a different type of more deluxe tea, like a chai style milk tea, or a coffee. On this particular tea break, one mid-morning in Yangon, Yinga and I were just walking around and decided to stop. I mostly wanted to just drink the soothing Chinese tea, but I also decided to order a hot black coffee. The coffee, I think was instant coffee, so it’s wasn’t of the best quality, but it was alright. It was served with a wedge of lime, which was an interesting combination. Along with our coffee and tea, we also ordered a small plate of samosas and a small plate of spring rolls - two popular snacks that are available on the streets of Yangon.
Everything was alright, but what I like even more than the snacks and the beverages is just the culture and atmosphere that revolves around a tea break in Myanmar. I think it’s one of the most interesting and joyous parts of traveling in Myanmar. So when you visit, be sure to stop at a road-side stall, enjoy some tea, and some small snacks.
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Mark Wiens is an eater at: http://migrationology.com/blog & http://www.eatingthaifood.com/blog/
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Watch more of my travel video on Yangon here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r4x4tztZ7E&index=6&list=PL3095B2DCDD945F57