Cambodia III: Bon Appetit!

A truly brilliant man once said, "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home." ( James Michener, 1907-1997)

So armed with words of the wise and brilliance emanating from within...

At Phnom Penh. Hunted for this stall based on hearsay, legends, cerita dongeng, wind directions and local directives. Eureka, found it! And there was a queue. Locals were eagerly buying the little buggers from this lady.

Cricket lady, deep frying crickets. There were 3 varieties - original, slightly spicy, non-spicy sauce.

The cricket was alright. Sold in measurement of a tin can, the lychee kinda tin can. Cambodians eat them like popcorns. O_o

The fried beetle had a weird *coughcockroach!cough* after taste. The spider was surprisingly yummy. Try the thorax and abdomen. Tastes like bak kua. About USD2. I can't quite recall...

We ate. We survived. We poo-ed as per normal.

L to R: Fried cricket, fried spider, fried beetle.

At Siem Reap. Little buggers' friends below.

Plattered spiders.


Plattered water beetle.

A source of protein, fibers and carbs. I'd say we are responsible health-conscious eaters, even when vacationing.

Clockwise from bottom left: Skewered banana and coconuts, duck fetus 'stall', fried spiders, fried crickets, fried water beetles, pizza (the non-happy kind)

The only dish which i did not try - fried snake. *grumble*

Can you feel already the brilliance emanating from within me???

Oh wait. The ever famous baguette sandwich. USD0.50 or so. French colonized Cambodia's sandwiches. Every different stall has different fillings. The basics: sliced cucumber, onion pieces, chili sauce and cold salami like meats slabbed in between freshly toasted baguette. Apparently baguette and coffee can be found at every street corner.

Lady preparing baguette sandwich, wraps with a piece of paper, bands it and into a plastic bag for take-away.


Bon appetit!