"Rainy season in Cambodia is a good time to eat mouse," my guide explained. The furry critters vacate their riverbank abodes in search of higher ground and are plucked from the trees for consumption. Similarly the tarantulas grow big and hairy (and tasty!?!)in the wet months.
My author/chef friend Ian is currently chewing on bamboo-roasted mouse in Vietnam and I aim to join him. I tried squirrel in London 2 years ago and its is likely to be similar. Anyway if you haven't tried it once, how do you know if you don't like it?
Other finds are Cambodian 3-month old fermented fish sauce. I ate this 2 nights ago with crunchy vegetables and holy basil. I am generally open-minded when it comes to trying new foods but this smelled, looked and tasted exactly like thin vomit. It was even warm! I much prefer the clear, fish sauce which has been boiled and used in cooking (and as a condiment) all over south east Asia.
Khmer food, I have found, bares close relation to Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. In fact you'll see many of their national dishes on most menus.
Their national dish is Amok - richly creamy with coconut milk - similar to a Thai green curry although not half as fragrant or spicy.
Stir fried or soupy noodles are common here too although again, I would rate the "Phad Thai," as a vastly supreme version.
"Lab" is a Khmer dish comprising meat pieces, crunchy beansprouts, shredded lime leaves, roasted rice, lemon juice and fresh mint. Served warm it is a meal in itself, fragrant and delicious especially in this climate.
Bor Bor is a famous Kmer dish of glutenous ricve soup - similar to Congee which I previously wrote about in Hong Kong diaries.
Street food overall is varied and exciting. I have munched on slow roasted pork belly with perfect crackling, duck, eels, BBQ'd meats and all manner of river fish.
Despite the tropical heat there are plenty of vegetables used in cooking from carrots to white cabbage (often used as a bulker in stir fries and curries) The Cambodians LOVE morning Glory. You'll see this growing in water beds all over Phnom Penn, especially in the Boeng kak lake. Its usually stir fried with oyster sauce.
There are some post-colonial remnants. Baguettes are everywhere and coffee is drunk as well as cold Chinese green tea.
Unsurprisingly, fruit is fantastic in the tropical climate. I recently ate a fish soup with melon, mango and pineapple. Fruit stalls are everywhere selling magosteens, paw paws, coconuts etc. I have just tried a palm fruit for the first time. They look tricky to prepare but are luscious and only lightly sweet. I reckon my chef friend could whip up a dish with these.
I also tried freshly roasted jungle nuts and Cambodian grapes. The latter are have the skin of a rhino, taste at first sweet, then sour then bitter as you munch the seeds. Like a grape/olive crossbreed, these are served with a sweet chilli ,mix.
I have yet to try snake, spider, mouse but look out..... however, its nearing the end of April and the rainy season approaches.
