Meeshay (Burmese: မြီးရှေ; MLCTS: mri: hre, pronounced [mjíʃè]; also spelt mi shay, mee shay, mee shei) is a Burmese cuisine dish of rice noodles with a meat sauce. The dish originated from the Chinese mixian (simplified Chinese: 米线) and became a specialty of the Shan people of Eastern Myanmar. Regional variants exist, but the two main types are the normal Mogok meeshay and the Mandalay version. Myay-oh meeshay (lit. 'claypot meeshay') is a Yunnanese version in which the rice noodles are cooked in a clay pot and the dish is served with a large quantity of soup and fresh vegetables.
The meat sauce is mainly made with pork or chicken. All forms of meeshay may be accompanied by mohnyin tjin (a popular Shan pickle made of mustard greens, carrots and other vegetables fermented in rice wine) and clear soup usually of chicken broth with scallions. Another common side dish to meeshay is fried Burmese tofu fritters.
Although a distinctly Shan dish, meeshay is popular in the major towns across Myanmar (Burma). Restaurant chains devoted to Shan dishes are popular in Yangon where meeshay is one of the top choices amongst customers.[1] Meeshay and other Shan dishes, are rich and comparatively bland (without the optional chilli flakes) due to the Highland culture of the Shan people. They are seen as novelty foods for typical city and town dwellers, as they present a deviation from typical Burmese cuisine dishes.[citation needed] Meeshay is a popular breakfast, brunch and light lunch option for many folks in Myanmar's cities and towns.[2]