Shan State is high up. The air is cooler, the hills are misty, and food there is a bit different from food on the hot plains. Shan noodles are simpler and not as spicy as some other Myanmar dishes - perfect for a chilly morning.
The sauce is made from juicy ripe tomatoes, garlic, a bit of meat (chicken or pork) and warm spices, slowly cooked together until it thickens. The noodles are made from rice flour rolled thin and cut into long, flat strips - a bit like wide spaghetti but softer.
When you order Shan noodles at a stall, the cook drops the noodles into hot water for a few seconds, then drains them and tosses them in a bowl with garlic oil, the tomato sauce, chopped peanuts, pickled mustard greens and a sprinkle of spring onion. A small bowl of clear broth often comes on the side.
Shan noodles travel well - they turn up in cafes, food courts and markets all over Myanmar, not just in Shan State. For lots of children, lunch on a school day might be a steamy bowl of Shan noodles eaten on a little plastic stool at a market stall, with mum or dad sitting opposite.