The Burmese people are a very welcoming bunch.  They are more than happy to offer you a smile and welcome you to their country, village or home.  One such tradition of greeting guests in Myanmar is to offer kun-ya to their guests.  What is it?

Kun-ya is the Burmese word for paan, a combination of chewing betel leaves with areca nuts and slaked lime paste.  It was common practice for hosts to offer laquerware boxes called a kun-it to guests.  Inside the circular betel box is a small container that holds the betel nut while the top of the bowl contains two trays.  One of the trays hold the ingredients for kun-ya while the other contains dried tobacco leaves.  The fresh green betel leaves are only revealed when the tray is taken out of the main bowl.

In addition to the core ingredients of betel leaves, areca nuts and slaked lime paste, additional ingredients such as cardamom, aniseed, cloves and sweetened grated coconut are added as well as.  Not only are these additional ingredients used to enhance the taste but also the aroma of the kun-ya.  Another variant is ‘ice-cold silver kun-ya’ which is instead coated with silver leaves and packed in ice.  This variant is such the delicacy that people will travel miles just to purchase these.

The offering of kun-ya played an important role in Burmese courtship.  Families with young daughters would sit by while the men would come over and chat with the ladies.  The girls would then offer the men kun-ya if she is interested in him.

Kun-ya is synonymous with goodwill, kindness, hospitality and social happiness in Myanmar.  Recently though, the practice of chewing it is frowned upon because betel spitting results in dirty red spots on roadsides and walls.  Paan chewing also results in red stains on teeth and more importantly, can lead to tongue and throat cancer.  Nonetheless, betel chewing is still an important aspect in many Burmese’s lives.  It is common to see people selling betel to car drivers stuck in traffic or small street stalls selling kun-ya and a variety of ingredients to suit their customer’s tastes.

Introduce yourself to Myanmar’s beautiful culture and the people’s amiable nature with our People and Heritage tour.  Explore the marvels of Myanmar’s regal history and local heritage as we take you to glittering pagodas, enigmatic ruins, and welcoming craft workshops.  You can also see our Myanmar tours page for other interesting ideas into this fascinating country.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about Myanmar or if you would like to tweak any of our tours.