A merchant sits all day waiting for customers
Now, don’t be confused, we’re not talking about the same HEB Central Market that we know and love in Alamo Heights –this is Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s central market, a huge one-stop-shop.
Sea slugs are considered a local delicacy
In addition to exotic fresh fruits and veggies, many I didn’t
recognize – just about everything imaginable is for sale here. There’s
even a beauty shop on the premises with ladies waiting in line to get
their hair cut or permed.
Cooking delicious tea cakes over a traditional charcoal grill
It’s noisy, smelly, loud and dimly lit – yet it’s a vibrant hub of
life buzzing with wound up energy. Chickens are clucking away,
snake-like sea creatures slithering out of their holding tanks onto the
floor, babies squealing, squatting women gossiping with one another, and
locals noisily slurping noodles in a filthy snack bar.
I stopped and watched a women bent over a portable odd-shaped clay
oven making petite tea-cakes in a flower-shaped mold. She carefully
poured the batter into the mold and within seconds I was seduced by the
enticing aroma and had to try one. It was delicious combination, half
cake and half waffle – sweet, light and fluffy, a good combination of
flavor and texture.
A lingering stench combined with the burdensome humidity and stifling
temperature was unbearable. The stagnant air just hung like a big
invisible cloud enveloping the dreary market, but somehow
Sihanoukville’s central market was bustling life. There was no way out
of this maze with crowded aisles of people hurriedly going about their
daily business.
Dried shrimp and other dried fish are common ingredients in Cambodian cooking
Jumping over stagnant puddles of muddy water, I navigated my way
through row after row of small stalls, hurrying past the smelly fish
area with large mounds of tiny dried shrimp, fish and squid, to the area
with household items and kitchen tools. I bought an odd handmade veggie
shredder and two exquisitely woven bamboo
soup ladles for just a few dollars. I was pleasantly surprised at the
impressive selection of kitchen tools that did all kinds of fancy
shredding and crinkle cuts. I’m still kicking myself for not buying the
hand carved bone Buddha charm with silver trim for only $8.00.
Always negotiate the price before hopping onboard a Tut Tut
After my shopping
excursion, I met up with some friends for an afternoon of touring
around town in a Tut Tut (motorized rickshaw). My friend Jerrol, a woman
of the world, negotiated the transaction with the skill of a NYC
lawyer. Jerrol advised to always do this BEFORE stepping into the Tut
Tut to avoid being at the driver’s mercy after your adventure. Good
advice.
Photos and text by Michelle Newman
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