Apologies to start. I don’t really remember the names of most of the foods we tasted. It’s more on me than on Hong, our wonderful guide.
Hong grew up in a small agricultural village a ways away from Siem Reap. She regaled us with stories of how to catch baby frogs and rats to eat. Perhaps more interesting, however, was her deep knowledge of Cambodian history and culture, which she generously shared with us.
They transported us in remorks, or covered carriages pulled by a motorbikes. There were 11 in our group, Poles, Malaysian, and American.
First stop was fried noodles with fried bun. They were very bland…until you added sauces of your choice. This was one of Hong’s favorite spots as the family has been making this specialty for generations.
Our pair of remorks travelled through Siem Reap as we headed to the next stop. There is a blend of French and Khmer architecture.
The next stop was for various fillings wrapped in lettuce leaves. A vast assortment of greens and herbs were added. This was Ellen’s favorite dish of the night.
I couldn’t help watching the little kids playing on the parked motorcycles. Can’t really imagine my mom ever allowing this. The little girl fell and started crying. Here are pics of her brother.
The next stop was for a fish noodle dish. There is quite an elaborate and time-consuming process to make this, and you don’t see anything remotely fishlike, but it has a pleasant fish broth. Various other foods are added per individual tastes.
Next stop was a market. This is where we were able to try various insects and other “interesting” foods. The baby frog legs were probably the best. There were a lot of people who stopped by to get bags of mixed bugs. The Malaysian tour member turned out to be a gastroenterologist. He did not eat the spiders.
The tour ended with a drive to “Pub Street,” where we each had a drink and debriefed on the tour.
