National symbols of Myanmar

The national symbols of Myanmar are icons, symbols and other cultural expressions which are seen as representative of the Burmese people. These have been accumulated over centuries and are mainly from the Bamar majority, while other ethnic groups also maintain their own symbols.
No official codification or de jure recognition exists, but most of these symbols are seen as de facto representative of the Burmese people. The use of much of these symbols were cultivated during the Konbaung dynasty which ruled the country from 1761 to 1885.

Flora

The Burmese ascribe a flower to each of the twelve months of the traditional Burmese calendar. However, two flowers are seen as national symbols.

	The padauk is referred to as the national flower of Myanmar and is associated with the Thingyan period. It is often mistaken with the Cassia fistula, which is the national flower of Thailand.
	The Bulbophyllum auricomum or thazin orchid is another national flower. According to a Burmese poem, during the Konbaung era, the king had the right to claim the first flowering bud of thazin within the realm and any transgression was punishable by death.
	The ingyin is the third national flower of Myanmar.

Food

A popular saying states "", translated as "of all the fruits, the mango's the best; of all the meats, the pork's the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet's the best".

Mohinga is the de facto national dish of Myanmar. It is a rice noodle dish served with thick fish broth and is generally eaten for breakfast. The main ingredients of the broth are catfish, chickpea flour, lemongrass, banana stem, garlic, onion, ginger and ngapi.

Laphet thoke is another symbolic dish of Myanmar, albeit a snack. It consists of pickled tea leaves soaked in oil eaten with an assortment of fritters including roasted groundnuts, deep fried garlic, sun dried prawns, toasted sesame and deep fried crispy beans. Laphet is served in a traditional 'oat' - a lacquer container with individual compartments for each ingredients. Lahpet was an ancient symbolic peace offering between warring kingdoms in the history of Myanmar, and is exchanged and consumed after settling a dispute.