Burmese Tea-Leaf Snack Mix

Burmese Tea-Leaf Snack Mix

The older, more ceremonial form of lahpet, the version that predates the salad. Unlike lahpet thoke (the salad), there's no cabbage, no tomato, no fresh dressing - the fermented tea leaves stay pungent and concentrated, and the fried elements supply texture and salt. You keep all the components separate on a divided plate until they reach the table, so the crispy bits don't soften, and each guest builds their own bite from the spread. Eaten as an afternoon teashop snack with a small cup of green tea, or traditionally at the close of formal meals as a sign of welcome and reconciliation - a Burmese custom that dates back centuries and still turns up at weddings.

Snacks 25 minutes Serves6
Choripán Chileno

Choripán Chileno

Chile's street sandwich and the food that fuels any Sunday football game or summer picnic. You take a Chilean longaniza (or any good fresh pork sausage), split it lengthways but leave it attached at one end so it opens like a butterfly, and grill it six minutes per side until the surface is charred and the inside still juicy. Marraqueta rolls split and toast briefly on the grill, the sausage tucks into the roll, and a generous spoonful of pebre goes on top. Some hands add a dab of mayo or mustard. Eaten immediately, standing up, with a beer in the other hand.

Snacks 27 minutes Serves4
Makdous

Makdous

Tiny aubergines (the small Middle-Eastern variety) blanched in salted water 6 minutes until just tender. Drain. Salt and pressed under weight 4-6 hours to drain bitter water. Each aubergine slits lengthwise (don't cut all the way through). A walnut-garlic-red-pepper-paste mixture stuffs into each slit. The stuffed aubergines pack tightly into a sterilised glass jar; covered in olive oil to fully submerge. Sealed and left at room temperature for 7-21 days. The oil takes on the spice; the aubergines mellow.

Snacks 30 minutes Serves8
Quesadillas

Quesadillas

Pre-cook any "wet" filling (mushrooms, chorizo, peppers) and cool. Cheese is grated. A dry, hot griddle or non-stick pan heats over medium heat. A tortilla goes on; cheese scatters over half; filling (if any) over the cheese; folded in half. Pressed gently with a spatula; cooked for 90 seconds until the underside is gold-spotted; flipped; cooked for 90 seconds more. The cheese should be fully melted and just starting to ooze at the edges. Sliced into 3 wedges; served with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lime.

Snacks 22 minutes Serves4