Food & Drink - Cambodia - page 663

Staples & Specialities
No matter what part of the world you come from, if you travel much in Cambodia, you are
going to encounter food that is unusual, strange, maybe even immoral, or just plain weird.
The fiercely omnivorous Cambodians find nothing strange in eating insects, algae, offal or
fish bladders. They will dine on a duck foetus, brew up some brains or snack on some
spiders. They will peel live frogs to grill on a barbecue or down wine infused with snake to
increase their virility.
To the Khmers there is nothing 'strange' about anything that will sustain the body. To
them a food is either wholesome or it isn't; it's nutritious or it isn't; it tastes good or it
doesn't. And that's all they worry about. They'll try anything once, even a burger.
Some Cambodian nightclubs allow guests to rent premium bottles of spirits, like Johnnie Walk-
er Blue Label, to display on the table - a way of maintaining face despite the fact it's actually
Johnnie Walker Red Label in the glass.
Rice, Fish & Soup
Cambodia's abundant waterways provide the fish that is fermented into prahoc (fermented
fish paste), which forms the backbone of Khmer cuisine. Built around this are the flavours
that give the cuisine its kick: the secret roots, the welcome herbs and the aromatic tubers.
Together they give the salads, snacks, soups and stews a special aroma and taste that
smacks of Cambodia.
Rice from Cambodia's lush fields is the principal staple, enshrined in the Khmer word
for 'eating' or 'to eat', nyam bai - literally 'eat rice'. Many a Cambodian, particularly
drivers, will run out of steam if they run out of rice. It doesn't matter that the same carbo-
hydrates are available in other foods, it is rice and rice alone that counts. Battambang
Province is Cambodia's rice bowl and produces the country's finest yield.
For the taste of Cambodia in a bowl, try the local kyteow, a rice-noodle soup that will
keep you going all day. This full, balanced meal will cost you just 5000r in markets and
about US$2 in local restaurants. Don't like noodles? Then try the bobor (rice porridge), a
national institution, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and best sampled with some fresh fish
and a splash of ginger.