Dim Lights, Big City
We’re in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, recovering from being in the dirty but welcoming countryside. With any luck our visas and passports will come through this evening for Vietnam and we’ll be on a boat down the Mekong river tomorrow morning.
Time for a regional food update. Cambodia definitely has a simpler cuisine than Thailand and Malaysia, but it has its highlights.
Breakfast
Steamed rice topped with BBQ pork and some pickled vegetables
“Noodles” – varies by vendor but usually some fresh chopped cucumbers, basil, mint and beansprouts topped with cool fresh white noodles topped with some mix of shrimp and peanuts.
Altar Food – We noticed baked goods at the market – very Western and yummy looking – so we got some for breakfast one day. Subsequently, we’ve noticed no one else seems to eat them and they often end up placed on altars with incense… Well, as long as they taste good!
Lunch & Dinner
“Stir Fry” – a base of chicken, fish, or beef with ginger, lemongrass, peppers, tamarind, or some other side. Simple and straightforward but excellent when freshly cooked up.
Amok – a delicious mild curry coconut concoction often served in a coconut with fish, chicken or beef. Usually made for tourists.
Fried Noodles / Rice – Served up in restaurants and on the side of the road usually with a topping of some stir-fried beef and some greens.
Sour Soup – Definitely an acquired taste – very popular amongst the locals but it’s hard for us to slurp down hot soup when it feels like 100 degrees outside.
Baguette – Usually served with “pate” which is pretty gross. The bread is good though if we can communicate through sign language to just give us the bread.
Drinks
Ever-present weak tea – served in bottomless pitchers on the table instead of water.
Beer – Angkor and Anchor (pronounced an-cher to reduce confusion) being the most popular usually served with ice and a straw
Coffee – iced and served with sweetened condensed milk
Palm Wine – Swill that is reminiscent of moonshine and home-fermented apple cider and sold on the side of the street from big plastic jugs
Sweets
Goop – so-named by us because of how it looks – made with bananas or some types of beans and covered with a salty coconut water – takes some getting used to the texture. A good afternoon snack.
Tags: Cambodia
Adam
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