Mont di is a collective term for Burmese cuisine dishes made with thin rice noodles. The vermicelli is used fresh, as it ferments quickly in Myanmar's tropical climate. There are a number of mont di dishes, and the Rakhine mont di of the Arakanese from western Myanmar is the most popular. Mandalay mont di is another well-known dish.
Variations
All the variants of "mont di" are often accompanied by Burmese fritters, of one's choice.
Rakhine ''mont di''
Rakhine mont di is the most popular dish in association with the Rakhine people. It is a semi staple dish of the Rakhine State. It comes in two forms: salad or soup. The soup is the more common version, in which rice vermicelli is mixed with a thin soup made of daggertooth pike conger,called thinbaw htoe in Arakanese, nga shwe in Burmese), Rakhine ngapi and lemongrass. Dry roastedpike conger eel flakes, fried onion and garlic, fresh coriander, red and green chili paste are added. It is also called arpu sharpu which roughly means 'hot throat, hot tongue', due to the green chili paste. Some add fried pulverised nga phe and pork rind. In the dry salad form, the same ingredients are mixed into a colourful combination. The green chili paste gives the white rice vermicelli a slight greenish in colour.
Mandalay ''mont di''
Mandalay mont di is quite different from Rakhine mont di. It uses meat instead of marine fish, as Mandalay is an inland city located in Central Myanmar. The meat is cooked as a sauce and added to the noodles like a salad. Many authentic shops uses a variation of daal flour and its different flavoured oils to bring about its unique Mandalay flavours. Most mont di shops will prepare the dish based on the customers' preferences for specific tastes and offers the option of "mixing" it for the customer. Another difference is that larger rice noodles are used instead, similar to nan gyi thoke.
Yodaya ''mont di''
During the 1700s, the influx of Ayutthayans following the Burmese–Siamese wars to Mandalay also created an infusion Central Thai-inspired dishes, one of which is known as Yodaya mont di. The rice noodle dish uses fish as the main protein instead of chicken, and is prepared using slivers of curled rice vermicelli strands tossed in a turmeric-infused oil, and served with fried onions and raw green beans. A unique rendition of Yodaya mont di, served with bean flour, dried shrimps, and a thicker gravy, can be found in Mandalay's Minthazu ward.
Yangon ''mont di''
Yangon mont di is very similar to the Rakhine mont di. The only difference is that oil is added to the salad, reflecting the Burmese preference for oiliness.
