I eat, therefore, I am

All humans were born equals (supposedly...)

At least we can say that they were born with the same senses: hearing, smell, sight, taste and touch.

However, “This is good”or This is pretty” is NOT true from one individual to another. What is good for you might not be good for him.

Globalization tends to “harmonize” our tastes: from Africa to Uzbekistan, you will see children enjoying Coca Cola, KFC and wearing a pair of jeans.

There are some good sides of it, as people around the world have access to much more flavors and diversity than before (like enjoying a bottle of good French wine in Cambodia...!!).

But in a sense, harmonization of tastes makes me a bit sad.

Nevertheless – thanks God! – if you have a chance to travel a bit in this beautiful world, you will realize that, food is probably one of the strongest cultural element that remains today spared by globalization.

Indeed, even if you can easily find international brands in the supermarkets in Cambodia (no complains about it as I have to admit than buying a “Rustique Camembert” in the shop near by my house has been one of the reasons that made me enjoy my life in Phnom Penh when I first arrived), the Cambodians have their own foodies habits and no matter how many foreigners established in their country, they strongly stick to their gustatory customs.

I decided today to present 2 typical Cambodian dishes, to which ingredients and flavors may surprise you sometimes, but are 2 of the local “must eat” here.

They will not particularly please your taste buds.

This is why, to compensate, let’s look for the perfect wine companion that can complement them!

(not that easy though)

1.      Char ngeav ampil tum (Fried Clams with tamarind)

Char Ngeav Ampil Tum

Clams cooked with green chili pickle, garlic, oyster sauce, fish stock, tamarind and basil leaves (Malis restaurant recipe)

Yummy ! Clams are fresh and tasty. Nice seafood flavour balanced by a “sweet and sour” light sauce, sweetness coming from the local basil and sourness, from the oyster sauce.

Clams are a real must eat here, and Khmers are fond of it. And it’s an easy pick. So go for it if you want to eat local.

My wine pick: A Lambrusco rosé amabile

Slightly sweet (if you pick an amabile and not a secco), fizzy, the rosé version of Lambrusco is fresher with lighter red fruit. The subtle sweetness combined with the fine bubbles and the refreshing notes will perfectly match the seafood based dish and its dark sweet and sour sauce. The natural sweetness of the basil not being strong, it will not overwhelm the wine.

1.     Prahok Ktis (fermented fish with coconut, herbs and spices based sauce)

It took me some time to understand where this really “persistent” (yeah, this totally is an euphemism) smell was coming from, while wandering around Phnom Penh’s road, or actually anywhere in Cambodia.

This strong smell that you will NEVER forget: a mix of putrefaction, dead fish with badly acrid notes that will make your eyes water and your stomach turned upside down.

This is Prahok mate.

Durian is totally child’s play compared to Prahok. Trust me.

Prahok literally means: Fermented fish. Crush some fish in a basket, dry it under the sun, put it in a jar with some salt and let it rest during.... at least 3 weeks.

But however difficult this experience seem, dont forget that Prahok really is the base of a lot of Cambodian dishes, and a great source of proteins for the poorer families.

Dont eat Prahok on its own! (don’t do that to yourself). Mix it with other condiments, or simply put it in a banana leaf with salt and herbs, and grill it.

Prahok Ktis is probably the easiest introduction you can get to Prahok, as – here – the fermented fish is “drown” inside a very tasty sauce made from coconut cream and Kroeng (blended paste made with various herbs and local spices).

Prahok Ktis

Big surprise: I love it !! Of course, it’s an easy one. The fermented taste is partially covered by the powerful coconut and spice sauce.

My wine pick: A Pinot Noir from Central Otago (New Zealand) or from California.

The sunshine throughout the year makes those Pinot richer in taste, in spice, with meaty aromas and of course, loads of fruit.

But as I am an adventurer, I decided to play hard and taste real Prahok with no artifice, as some of my friends were telling me that you dont really belong here until you eat pure Prahok.

pure Prahok

Well. I tried. But please, dont ask me to like it.... and to my Cambodians friends: no, it’s not like Camembert!!

Thank you to Sao Moon from Malis Restaurant for her great guidance through Khmer delicacies !