Cambodia IV: Lok Lak, Sony Ericssons and Fried Cockroaches
In observance of the new world order and that Cambodia (particularly Siem Reap) is stepping into the 21st Century, here is quick introduction of Khmer terminology to whet your appetite for this really curious language.
PREFACE: As is appropriate, this is typed on a super duper whizzy Pentium M PC (manufactured by a local "reproducer" for sure) complete with 56X CD/DVD burner, gajillion USB ports for digital CF cards and a kickass sound system. In an air-conditioned internet cafe, charging US$1 per hour of computer use and US$2.50 per CD to burn your pictures if you run out of memory on CF cards. Not to mention the connections are WIRED i.e. ethernet lines, rather than the some shaky broadband system. This is more advanced than parts of Europe, man.
Tuk Tuk - similar to the little jipneys all over South East Asia, these carry anywhere from 2 to 6 passengers, really a hooded wagon towed by a scooter. Some have comfortable seats, others are a little shaky... but all accompanied with a smart-mouth driver who would love to drive you to the nearest mass-market restaurant that serves supposed traditional Khmer food. They're fun to bargain with - distance has nothing to do with price, and any protest about prices are bound to be accompanied with a huge grin and an incredulous "Ah.. Dteh, dteh (no, no)" as if the price would not feed his family of starving children.
Then again, it may not. Hmm.
Lo-uhng Tuk Tuk - Tuk Tuk Driver. After reluctantly agreeing on a price, they set off at a slow chug-u-lug pace to where you want to go. One lo-uhng who drives a particularly shaky tuk-tuk whips out with one hand a FLASHY hi-style gleaming color screen blinking polytonal ring-tone Sony Ericsson mobile, and talks away while manouvering the scooter with the other. We barely felt a bump, such was his skill, even with one hand driving. Other tuk-tuks were kind enough to provide a wire hanger twisted around the wagon hood, wrapped with soft styrofoam as a safety handlebar. We even saw one lo-uhng with a helmet - which was rare around Siem Reap.
Lok-Lak: A fried egg, served on top of Chah Setko (See "Char" and "Setko" separately), sometimes with chips. Very satisfying breakfast, especially with some local sweet chili sauce.
Kdaam-Tuk: An incredible wicked looking cricket type insect, normally found in paddy fields, these suckers are at least 2 - 3 inches long, and 1-inch wide. They are stir-fried in soya sauce, and are normally sold 3 for the bargain price of US$1. To eat them, you have to peel back the shells, pull off the little creepy legs, and suck out the insides. They sort of taste like a gamy soft-shell crab heavily laced with soy sauce, actually not as bad as I thought. Which I suppose is why it's called Kdaam Tuk - Kdaam means "crab"in Khmai (see Khmai).
Teh-long : Similar to Kdaam Tuk, except the bugs are black critters the size of cockroaches. These taste like dried shrimp - or "heh-bi", as the Singaporeans know them. Best served when the consumer's eyes are closed, with shells already peeled, two fingers pinching the last feeler of the bug that serves as a good handhold to pick out the insides with a toothpick (cos us foreigners don't have the skill to suck out the good stuff like the locals do). Recommend removing all the wings cleanly before consuming, and to eat with your eyes closed.
Ch-ngain - Tasty. which Teh-long and Kdaam-Tuk were not, really.
Chah - Fried, or stir-fried.
Set-ko - Beef. As in: Chah Set-ko Mee - Fried Beef noodles. Remember it, it will keep you nourished for less than US$1 on a daily basis. Very important survival phrase.
Khmai - the local pronunciation of their own language. Not KH-MEH-ER like the Americans like to say.
Pahn - bread. A take of the French pronunciation of "pain". Best purchased off the baskets in the street market, its oven-baked warmth kept inside by the sun's warmth beating down on its outside. Crusty on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. It was indulgence munching on mini baguettes as we walked around the street market and around the town.
Continuing our culinary adventure later on tonight :)
PREFACE: As is appropriate, this is typed on a super duper whizzy Pentium M PC (manufactured by a local "reproducer" for sure) complete with 56X CD/DVD burner, gajillion USB ports for digital CF cards and a kickass sound system. In an air-conditioned internet cafe, charging US$1 per hour of computer use and US$2.50 per CD to burn your pictures if you run out of memory on CF cards. Not to mention the connections are WIRED i.e. ethernet lines, rather than the some shaky broadband system. This is more advanced than parts of Europe, man.
Tuk Tuk - similar to the little jipneys all over South East Asia, these carry anywhere from 2 to 6 passengers, really a hooded wagon towed by a scooter. Some have comfortable seats, others are a little shaky... but all accompanied with a smart-mouth driver who would love to drive you to the nearest mass-market restaurant that serves supposed traditional Khmer food. They're fun to bargain with - distance has nothing to do with price, and any protest about prices are bound to be accompanied with a huge grin and an incredulous "Ah.. Dteh, dteh (no, no)" as if the price would not feed his family of starving children.
Then again, it may not. Hmm.
Lo-uhng Tuk Tuk - Tuk Tuk Driver. After reluctantly agreeing on a price, they set off at a slow chug-u-lug pace to where you want to go. One lo-uhng who drives a particularly shaky tuk-tuk whips out with one hand a FLASHY hi-style gleaming color screen blinking polytonal ring-tone Sony Ericsson mobile, and talks away while manouvering the scooter with the other. We barely felt a bump, such was his skill, even with one hand driving. Other tuk-tuks were kind enough to provide a wire hanger twisted around the wagon hood, wrapped with soft styrofoam as a safety handlebar. We even saw one lo-uhng with a helmet - which was rare around Siem Reap.
Lok-Lak: A fried egg, served on top of Chah Setko (See "Char" and "Setko" separately), sometimes with chips. Very satisfying breakfast, especially with some local sweet chili sauce.
Kdaam-Tuk: An incredible wicked looking cricket type insect, normally found in paddy fields, these suckers are at least 2 - 3 inches long, and 1-inch wide. They are stir-fried in soya sauce, and are normally sold 3 for the bargain price of US$1. To eat them, you have to peel back the shells, pull off the little creepy legs, and suck out the insides. They sort of taste like a gamy soft-shell crab heavily laced with soy sauce, actually not as bad as I thought. Which I suppose is why it's called Kdaam Tuk - Kdaam means "crab"in Khmai (see Khmai).
Teh-long : Similar to Kdaam Tuk, except the bugs are black critters the size of cockroaches. These taste like dried shrimp - or "heh-bi", as the Singaporeans know them. Best served when the consumer's eyes are closed, with shells already peeled, two fingers pinching the last feeler of the bug that serves as a good handhold to pick out the insides with a toothpick (cos us foreigners don't have the skill to suck out the good stuff like the locals do). Recommend removing all the wings cleanly before consuming, and to eat with your eyes closed.
Ch-ngain - Tasty. which Teh-long and Kdaam-Tuk were not, really.
Chah - Fried, or stir-fried.
Set-ko - Beef. As in: Chah Set-ko Mee - Fried Beef noodles. Remember it, it will keep you nourished for less than US$1 on a daily basis. Very important survival phrase.
Khmai - the local pronunciation of their own language. Not KH-MEH-ER like the Americans like to say.
Pahn - bread. A take of the French pronunciation of "pain". Best purchased off the baskets in the street market, its oven-baked warmth kept inside by the sun's warmth beating down on its outside. Crusty on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. It was indulgence munching on mini baguettes as we walked around the street market and around the town.
Continuing our culinary adventure later on tonight :)
posted by tygertyger at 4:21 PM
1 Comments:
hey babe, lurve your cambodian entry... looking forward to the pix!
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