Traditional Myanmar Cuisine

Kayah Sausage: A Distinctive Myanmar Traditional Delicacy
When people talk about food from Kayah, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the spiral-shaped sausage. There is even a saying that if you have visited Kayah State but have never tasted Kayah sausage, then you have not truly been to Kayah.
Kayah sausage is different from other types of sausages. It is a traditional food made from local ingredients such as Makha fruit, mountain-grown chillies, hill pork, and pork intestines. The slightly tangy and distinctive flavour of the local Makha fruit, combined with the unique taste of the sausage, creates an exceptionally delicious dish. Because of its distinctive taste, Kayah sausage has become a well-known delicacy throughout Myanmar.
Therefore, this week we present the traditional recipe for making Kayah sausage, a speciality of the Kayah ethnic people.

Ingredients
1. Pork belly – 50 ticals (about 800 grammes)
2. Pork intestine casing – about 4 feet (or collagen casing)
3. A little salt
4. Sugar – 4 tablespoons
5. Thick soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
6. Light soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
7. Sichuan pepper powder (or Chinese five-spice) – a small amount
8. Makha powder (for its distinctive aroma and flavour) – a little
9. Food colouring – a small amount
10. Corn starch – a small amount
11. Cooking wine – 2 tablespoons

Preparation
First, remove the skin from the pork and either mince or grind the meat.
Next, mix all the ingredients together and knead them well with the minced pork. Let the mixture marinate for about one hour.
If using pork intestines as the casing, clean them thoroughly beforehand. Alternatively, collagen casing can be used. Collagen casing is a material commonly used as a substitute for natural sausage casings.
Insert either the cleaned intestine or the collagen casing into the sausage funnel tube. Pull it along the tube to the end and tie the other end tightly to prevent the filling from leaking out.
Take a small portion of the minced pork mixture, form about five small balls, and fry them to taste. If the seasoning is satisfactory, you may proceed to stuff the remaining mixture into the casing.
Press the marinated pork mixture into the funnel so it passes through the tube and fills the casing. Use a toothpick to prick any air pockets that form in the sausage to prevent trapped air.
When one casing is filled, remove it from the tube and tie the end securely.
Hang the prepared sausages in strong sunlight for about four hours a day for three days to dry. Alternatively, they can be placed on a tray in an oven and heated at 80°C for about one hour.
Once dried, the delicious Kayah sausages are ready. They can be fried and eaten immediately or stored for later consumption when needed.
Kayah Steamed Parcel (Kayah Hinhtoke)
Another traditional Kayah dish that never becomes tiresome, no matter how often it is eaten, is Kayah Hinhtoke, a steamed parcel with a fragrant aroma of spring onions. The preparation method is described below.

Ingredients
• Spring onions – 500 grammes (one large bunch)
• Rice flour – 150 grammes
• Pork (or chicken) – 100 grammes
(Reduce the amount if you prefer less meat.)
• Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – a small amount
• Banana leaves for wrapping
Preparation
Wash the pork and boil it with a little salt until the water evaporates.
Then cut the meat into small pieces.
Wash the spring onions and slice them thinly.
Place the spring onions in a bowl and add the rice flour, pork, oil, and a little salt. Mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of water and knead again.
Wash the banana leaves and wipe them dry.
Wrap portions of the mixture in the banana leaves. Slightly warm the banana leaves over a gentle flame to prevent them from cracking, and cut them into the desired size.
Secure the parcels with toothpicks to prevent them from opening, then place them in a steamer tray.
Add water to the steamer pot, place the tray on top, cover it, and steam for about 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, the parcels are ready.
You can unwrap the parcels and enjoy this delicious traditional Kayah dish as a snack, often served together with fried chilli and garlic chives. — MOON

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