The Cambodian food « Athena’s wings

The Cambodian food

January 15, 2009 · 1 Comment

Food, put many great nations on world’s map. However, I haven’t heard about the Cambodian food before this trip. It brought me some worries. After this trip, I will say the cambodian food is cheap. Anything else? Un…. it’s cheap. There are some special local food I saw during this trip. Some foods will stay in my memories but not only for delicious.

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1. The Coconut water

It’s like the national drink in Cambodia with national price 1 dollar per one coconut in the tour point. However, you can get 2 for 1 dollar in the regular fruit store. The coconut water is like the Sugar can water in Vietnam. People sells it everywhere. Maybe the tourist still gets the foreigner speical price. However, it’s already a lot cheap than drink in homeland.

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2. The cambodian version ”Momo Chacha”

For me, it’s a ”must eat” store after the whole day Angkor Wat walking. It’s like the snow ice in Taiwan or the Momo Chacha in Thailand. However, they put some local fruit and jelly. It’s 2 cups for one dollar. The booth doesn’t look charming at all. However, it’s delicious and you can eat many local fruit at the same time. Even it’s january, the weather is still hot. It always a good appetizer for the evening.

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3. The Cambodian Combo

If you’re a glutton, it’s a lot safer having dinner in their tourist’s street where I took one dinner there. If they don’t call this dish “the Cambodian Combo”, I will say it’s like Thai food but not as hot as theirs. I think it’s the only dish I can have delicious, good looking and classical but no surprising stuff at the same time. A little bit more price, if you don’t like surprise (no matter good one or bad one.) The tourist street will be a good choice in Siem Reap. The other good flavor of this dish is from the leaf holder. In the old time taiwan, we used leaves very often, too. The leaf also brings some good smell and add up the value of this dish.

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4. BBQ Banana

I know in the SE Asia, a bit more process for the food brings more flavors especially in hot summer. I think it’s this dish comes from. There are many booths sells BBQ banana. I didn’t try it. I like banana but BBQ banana. It might be good but not my type. The Combodian banana is small variety. It’s different from banana sells in the Northern American market.

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5. BBQ booth in Angkor Wat

Visiting Angkor Wat is easy. You always can find at least three “took-took’ wants to take you to the place you go. (Never forgets to bargain!!) There are always many food booths nearby the entrance of those tour points. If you would like to take advanture, the BBQ booth will be a beginning level of the Combodian food. They BBQ everything for you. The fish in the lake nearby Siemp Reap, Chicken leg and the bird of passage. It might not look delicous but at least the chicken leg I tried isn’t bad and not too expensive USD $1/leg. But, if you want to try something special, the bird of passage is something you might not have chance to eat somewhere else.

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6. Insect festival

Yes, it’s not wrong spelling. It’s insects. The insects for the Combodian is like the potato chip in the western or is like the fried chicken (鹽酥雞) in Taiwan. It’s a national snack in SE Asia. They fried those insects and sells in the fruit booth. That’s right. They sold them next to the fruits. Maybe it’s some market trick that showing people their fruit is so sweet to attract tons of insects here to eat. Therefore, they can offer both sweet fruit and fried insects at the same time. I asked the local people, they even have their favorite flavor of the insect. I’m only a tourist. I’m satisfied with myself of eating one locust. It taste not bad but I just won’t bother to buy home to eat.

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7. Main show – The mysterious egg

When my last trip in Vietnam, I saw this egg already. We taiwanese called it “duckling egg” which means the egg few days before hatched. When you opened it, you can see some parts of the looks of this duckling. If you’re not ready, it is already scary when you saw it. Eating the egg really needs some courage to do that. The local people taugh me the Combodian way of enjoy this egg. You blended the egg with lemon juice, basil and pepper. I did see the duckling stared on me when I eat it. After one bite, I kept 10 seconds silent. I put one dollar on my desk and walk sharply without looking at everyone. I’m sorry I make my audiences down. I think some pleasures are not for everyone. However, based on the report, the duckling egg offers high protein and many nutrition.

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