Hta-Ma-Nae festival always take place on the full moon day of the month of 'Ta Po Tware' in Burmese lunar calendar (which usually falls in January or February of Julian calendar). The fun is not so much in eating Hta-Ma-Nae but in cooking of it.
Hta-Ma-Nae is made from glutinous rice cooked in a large wok with plenty of cooking oil (rather than water). Once the rice is cooked, it is then mixed with coconut chips, sesame seeds and peanuts.
To be called a Hta-Ma-Nae, the cooked rice has to be turned into mash. This requires a team of 4 people working in unison around the wok. Two people with large spatulas stand around the wok and provide the kneading motion through the glutinous rice, whilst the other 2 people squatting around the wok, hold the neck of the spatulas and squeeze the rice between the two blades of spatulas to turn the rice into mash.
This could go on for long minutes with people taking turns around the wok and this way cooking is what makes the festival a great social occasion.
More photos available here.
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