Myanmar holds traditional sticky rice-making competition after two-year pause

YANGON, Feb. 3– Myanmar held a traditional Htamane making competition at the country’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on Friday evening after a two-year pause over the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition was suspended in 2021 and 2022, said U Htay Hlaing, a member of the pagoda’s board of trustees, adding it is a Buddhist tradition as well as Myanmar people’s…

YANGON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) — Myanmar held a traditional Htamane (sticky-rice) making competition at the country’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on Friday evening after a two-year pause over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competition was suspended in 2021 and 2022, said U Htay Hlaing, a member of the pagoda’s board of trustees, adding it is a Buddhist tradition as well as Myanmar people’s tradition.

A total of 24 six-member teams participated in the competition, accompanied by traditional music groups and fans, at the pagoda’s compound.

Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein attended the competition.

Participants in the competition said that they will offer the food prepared in the competition to monks as well as pilgrims as charity food on Saturday morning at the pagoda.

The traditional sticky rice-based savory food of Myanmar is usually ceremonially prepared around and on the full moon day of Tabodwe, the 11th month of the Myanmar lunar calendar, to celebrate the country’s Htamane festival, which falls on Feb. 4 this year.

Myanmar’s traditional Htamane food is prepared by first washing and then soaking white and purple sticky rice. The sticky rice is then kneaded, crushed and boiled with water and ground nut oil in a giant wide wok on a low stove until it becomes a thick blackish-grey paste.

Many of the Htamane competitions were also held across the Southeast Asian country on Friday. Enditem