3. Vegetable Trees.
The Dan-da-lun tree, Myanmar term (Botanical name: Moringa oleifera), which bears the drumstick, is a vegetable used in curries much like the Indian curries. The drumstick is cut and cooked with various vegetables, but one must peel open the cooked drumstick & consume the flesh & seeds within. The moringa leaves may also be cooked as soup and are traditionally used to promote lactation in breastfeeding mothers. I recall I had several doses of moringa soup interspersed with ox tail soup.
The Ma-Gyee-Pin (Myanmar term) or Tamarind tree (Botanical name: Tamarindus indica) is another tree used for its fruit as a vegetable. The hardy tamarind tree grows in the dry zone in upper Myanmar & provides much-needed shade. The ripe tamarind pulp is soaked in warm water & the juice is used to flavour Myanmar soups. The tender leaves are also used as salads. The tamarind fruit is also used to make tamarind sweets.
4. Thanaka Trees.
Thanaka (local term) is a natural cosmetic and a cultural heritage unique to Myanmar. There are different varieties of Thanaka Trees in Myanmar, each with other fragrances used for various purposes. The botanical name would be “Limonia acidissima.” Thanaka is also known as sandalwood. The tree must grow for 35 years to be large enough to become the paste source.
I believe Myanmar is the only country in the world to smear the paste of the Thanaka tree bark on the face & body. A thick layer is applied to the face, especially the cheeks, to act as a sunscreen. A flat stone slab wetted with a bit of water is used to grind the dried bark in a circular motion to produce a paste. Nowadays, ready-made Thanaka in creams, powders or cubes are available & cheaper than the dried Thanaka bark. But having said that, the aroma of the cream, powder or cube is not quite the same as the original.
As mentioned, different types of Thanaka are to be applied specifically for the face or the limbs. As a young child, I recall living with my grandparents, having to prepare Thanaka for the face and a different Thanaka for my grandmother’s limbs. There is a heaty Thanaka, which is meant for colder months & a cooler Thanaka, meant for the hot summer, both to be applied to the limbs.
Although this blog is on trees with meaning or unique meaning for Myanmar, one of my friends suggested including an orchid unique to Myanmar & which also happens to be by my name. The Thazin orchid (Botanical name: Bulbophyllum auricomun) grows in high-up places and is synonymous with royalty. This flower blooms seasonally in the colder months & is much sought after to wear in a traditional Myanmar bride’s hairdo.
I want to highlight that there remains a host of other trees in Myanmar & not restricted to the ones mentioned in this blog. Trees protect the environment and are designated national trees and flowers in other countries, like the Cherry Blossom (Sakura) of Japan, the Tembusu Tree of Singapore, and the Banyan Tree of India. With this, I conclude this blog on trees that have meaning and are unique to Myanmar. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the friends from whom I delved a surprising amount of information, as this blog would not have been complete without their contributions.
Dr Thazin Han is a retired radiologist with a strong interest in medical education. She worked as an education officer at the Dept of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore from 2007 to 2019. She is retired but still practices radiology part-time and is a resource person and committee member of the Department of Medical Education, Defence Services Medical Academy.
