Edibles!

“The Yao of cooking”

Posted on November 22, 2013 by erikamae82

Again I start with the idea that people cross your path for a reason, a season or a lifetime. On this day, I’m confident to say that I acquired all three of them!

Days prior I met Claudia who was introduced to me by Bree (the girl I met on the flight to Asia). The three of us partook in Monk Chat that led us to a beautiful organic cafe with this sign posted:

After meeting the enthusiastic owner we decided to return in celebration of her book release. Plus, free gourmet organic food, live music and a multi cultural crowd? Can’t really go wrong with any part of that!

Blending with us is on this little adventure is also sweet Maddi, a new gal in our dorm room that was easy to chat with and willing to join! When we arrived the double story cafe was packed full of smiles, glowing energy and enough bare feet to question the reason we even bother wearing shoes.

Downstairs there were sample trays full of her own recipes from flavorful spring rolls and sweet dip to a pumpkin-veggie-nut mixture that I could have swam in. We over heard the waiter ask the owner “how much food will be served?” Her response, “…until everyone has had their fill”. That alone should give you an idea of what kind of woman we’re talking about. Up stairs introduced you to floor tables, bean bags and more shining faces. You really couldn’t frown in a place like this!

Recognize that jolly bearded man? Yes, another brilliant unexpected path crossing as that guy was the English teacher for the Monks that we just met. Turns out he’s also a fan of this quaint cafe trying to make a difference in the community. What joy reached his face when he glanced over and saw the three of us smiling back!

There’s so much to look at in this shop! Have wandering eyes? Me too.

The food eating slows and now it’s time for sweet Yao and her colleagues to share a little bit about their goals in regards to supporting local growers and artists. This is when what I think is going to be a neat little taste of a locals perspective, turns and hits me with an unpredictable love-punch straight to the heart.
There were times I felt like they talking directly to me…. maybe in my teary eyed little world, they were.

The band started back up and books start flying off the shelf. Not literally, but I do think there were definitely multiple reasons of why the books were jumping into the hands of all of these smiles. The author is a quality, personable human being that puts just as much effort into her community as she does in her recipes.

Instead of paying a huge company to bind the books in large quantities, she found this local artist that personally hand-bound (I think that’s how you say it) every single one. When I approached the table, I took time to look at each design and picked my absolute favorite. She smiled and held my hand as she whispered “I only made one like that, I’m glad you chose it.”

Heart…melting…again.

You can imagine the natural high I was floating on as we left this building of love. I met people who had just the right thing to say at that moment, connected with some that I plan on seeing again and bonded even more so with my dear friend Bree.

Dear Yao,
Your soft voice speaks in volumes through your genuine eyes and passion towards helping others. I’m honored to have met you and I give thanks for your encouraging words and devotion to leading by example. You are a hero!

Categories: Art, Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: book signing, cafe, Chiang Mai, coffee shop, cooking, Friends, Music, organic, Thailand, the birds nest, Yao | Leave a comment

16 dishes of Thai food please!

Posted on November 17, 2013 by erikamae82

Before I introduce you to the beginning days in Thailand, lets take a peek at my current travel partner and new roommate! This is Bree, the first photo is the day we met on the flight to Asia followed by our first reunion in Cambodia. Now, we meet again to explore a bit of Chiang Mai together. What a beautiful path crossing!

Her and I found out quickly that we share a love for food, cooking and trying new flavors. This made it easy to choose the country side excursion that takes us to a local market, followed by several hours of creating traditional recipes. I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed a cooking experience in Peru as well as a culinary class in Cambodia so lets see how this one compares!

First step is a trip to the market (which still remains as one of my favorite things to visit in a new country). Just combine the street vendors, scrumptious edibles and the energetic people and you’ve entered my happy place. We only spent a few moments at this particular one, so my “market post” for Chiang Mai will be separate… but soon to come!

After our mini lesson, we got to hop on bikes and peddle our way into the outskirts of Chiang Mai. What a perfect way to start a day of eating!

We arrived, parked our bikes and jumped right into the garden to find more goodies.

They give you this menu in which you get to pick from. Yes, every single person got an individual choice on what they were going to cook that day. This differed quite a bit from other classes I’ve taken in which “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit” (quoting every kindergarten teacher at some point in their career).

Next we suit up!

Prep to cook, then prep a bit more and then cook again!

After each dish, we got to sit and eat. Luckily we were with a group that was eager to share everything. This means we all got to try a total of 16 different delicious recipes!

A full stomach, new friends and a cookbook are just a few of the bonuses from this all day excursion.

My favorite new item of the day was this traditional rice steamer. Mark it on my kitchen list for when I grow up...

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Bike ride, Chiang Mai, coconut milk, Cooking class, noodles, rice, squash, Thailand | 2 Comments

“Lady lady, where you from?”

Posted on November 13, 2013 by erikamae82

The ride from Hanoi to Hoi An could of been long and boring however, I’ll never know that experience due to the new friends I met along the way. Vilmos and Zsuzsanna had an open door and was game for sharing snacks and travel stories. After hours of eye opening and heart stimulating conversation (thanks again for the new perspective) it was time for rest before we were booted off the train in central Vietnam.

*They put me in their blog too! Check out the photos and tell me what it says (if you can read Hungarian) at http://rajdakaland.blogspot.jp/

Next stop Hoi An, a quaint old town that used to be Vietnam’s most important port and trading post with China. I’ve been told you can cover the entire town on foot in a day and still have time to snag a coffee. Sounds perfect after the chaos Hanoi had offered. Lets see!

When you walk along the rivers edge, you’ll see locals paddling away while the old boats sit and look pretty. It definitely adds a unique feel to this already small town. It makes me wonder if these waters could talk…

Lining the river are markets and shops with local owners doing their very best to make a sell. Their favorite conversation starter is “Where are you from?”. For my own entertainment and hopefully there’s as well, I started answering differently every time. “My mom said the moon, but I don’t believe her” or “I don’t remember… where are you from?”. I found the more bizzare of an answer the bigger the smile I got in return. This is either because they thought is was funny, I was out of my mind or maybe they just had absolutely no idea what I was saying.

Curiosity hits… What’s the reason behind the locals overly aggressive way of trying to get a sale? They would physically grab my arm and begin to guide me in the direction of their shop. After I’d deliver several “no thank you’s” with a bow, they’d keep trying and when the point was finally received that I was not interested, they’d give a disturbing frown almost to a pout. A final “no thank you” would end it and they’d turn away with a snarl.

Although I didn’t appreciate this whatsoever, it just makes me ponder what has been the progression or experiences to get them to act in such behavior? Was it taught, learned through example or just a part of the culture? Are they ashamed or proud, possibly unaware of the environment that it creates? I wonder what it was like here 50, 30 or even just 10 years ago…

Once you’ve made your way through the “assertive” saleswomen, you can begin to branch off and see other stores, restaurants and old buildings. Although its not my thing, I dare not forget to mention (for all my fashionistas) that Hoi An also has over 400 tailors within the city limits. Need a dress, suit or pants? Whatever you fancy they’ll measure you, make it and have it ready within 24 hours.

A quick pit stop for a street food snack brings me a mung bean patty and a dish that tasted like a rice gelatin substance with vegetable soup and topped with chili sauce and fried onions. What was it really? I have no idea.

Ooh, creative photo time! Amazing what a tiny camera effect can do to an image.

As the day progressed, the clouds began to cover and within moments we were showered with unforgiving rain. Little did I know, this was the calming before the typhoon heading in our direction. I suppose my lack of that information was bliss as I splashed around the wet city.

Evening rolled around and the rain hadn’t only opened the door but invited itself in with no intention on leaving. As I was heading back to my hostel, I heard “I know you!” On a bike rolls up Alex, the friendly German who I shared a cab ride with from the airport! A chat in the rain? Don’t mind if I do! We geared up appropriately and headed out for an adventure in the storm.

We ended up at Cafe 19, a small little spot that offered $0.25 beers and a local dish called White Rose (which is like a dumpling) that we were both eager to try. Perfect!

This menu made us chuckle, not that it was so clear in regards to pork or beef, but the proportion of the two animals.

An early rise for me was welcomed with a complimentary breakfast, a choice of coffee, juice, eggs and veggies or bread. Yes please! I went with a mushroom and tomato omelette, raw veggies and a ginger-lime juice that was so fresh there were chunks of ginger and lime pulp!

Dear Vietnam, my journey here was short and I may need more time in your country-side to truly appreciate all that you have to offer. Until then, thank you for the warm soup, yogurt coffee and new friends!

Next stop, Thailand!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Boats, Hoi An, market, port town, rain, train, typhoon, Vietnam, white rose | 1 Comment

Hanoi – A day in the streets & the market by night!

Posted on November 10, 2013 by erikamae82

I found that when I was walking the streets of Hanoi, the energy from the locals was constantly sending me mixed signals. Food venders on the street might greet you when you smile into their bowl of mystery items and others pretend as if you don’t exist. Many tuk tuk drivers will offer you a kind ride, while others won’t hesitate to nip your heels along a cross walk. Maybe it’s because I was spoiled in Cambodia or that I’m usually staying with locals, but I was taken back by the overall “you’re just a tourist” vibe that dampened this city. I suppose thats what I get for visiting the second largest city in Vietnam. With that said, lets see what it has to offer!

Welcome to the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam!

Of course there’s a Pub… Haven’t found a country yet that doesn’t support an Irish drinking place!

These sweet girls welcomed me into their creative shop in which mostly everything was handmade by them right here in the store. What a beautiful group of ambitious ladies!

A breath of fresh air in this busy city can be found with a walk around the lake (the one seen from the balcony of the egg coffee cafe.

Like in most cities, as the sun goes down… the energy goes up!

The famous night market draws in a crowd looking for clothes, trinkets, food, drinks and pretty much anything else you can imagine that’s sellable to a willing customer.

This friendly couple from Sweden made dinner a treat by splitting a massive feast with me. Each table gets their own grill and a plate of raw food. You add the oil and seasonings, then stir-fry it up! I included the first photo just to show off my favorite mini table settings that the locals dine on.

If you’re not strolling the night market, just hitting the main streets will keep your eyes on the move!

Safety tips of the day:
1. Assuming pedestrians have the right away will get you hit by a speeding motorbike.

2. Once you commit to walking… Keep going! They’ll maneuver around you (That’s my noggin to the left of the photo).

3. If you can’t beat them, join em!

Time for a double connection! Egg coffee friends… meet barbecue night-market friends! On this evening, we chose to stay low key with the locals and take a tea on some mini stools.

Well thank you Hanoi for your introduction to Vietnam. Travelers, if you’re reading this for personal advice, here’s my quick thought:
If you’re coming for a personal “local” experience… get out of the city. If you’re coming for souvenirs and egg coffee… You’ve come to the right place.

For me, it’s time to get out of town! A spicy and extremely sweet local girl offered me a ride to the station so I wouldn’t have to deal with a cab or cranky tuk tuk driver. Thank you dear!

Not only did she drive me all the way there, she parked her bike, checked me in and then proceeded to walk me all the way to the bed I would be sleeping on during this 13 hour train

Dear mystery motorbike angel, your kind smile and sassy energy was not only appreciated, but adored!

Next stop, Hoi An!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: BBQ, Hanoi, market, motorbike safety, night scene, street food, train, vegetables, Vietnam | 2 Comments

Hanoi food, drinks and dessert for $1.50 total!

Posted on November 7, 2013 by erikamae82

The other day I was wandering the streets in Hanoi looking for a bite to eat. Passing each restaurant that was full of tourists (although I’m sure there was a reason they were packed) I was simply looking for some local eats with rich flavor and no English menu. There was a huge mob of locals sitting just inches off the ground on baby stools devouring whatever this woman was putting into the bowls. Sold! I waited for a stool to open up and within moments, a local stood and signaled for me to take their seat. I smiled gratefully, sat down and just held up one finger with a head nod. Seconds later I found myself drooling (or what felt like it) into the dish and loving every bite! It was gone before the camera even made a conscious thought in my head. Sorry folks.

With that said, lets take a walk through the streets and try some other food and drink that’s common around here!

If you’d like to start your day off with a coffee, you have the usual (boring) options or three different specialities of Hanoi. First up, the ever so popular Weasel Coffee.

Step 1: The weasel eats the coffee berry beans.
Step 2: Naturally eliminates them (yes…poop)
Step 3: The beans are collected, washed, sun dried and roasted.
Step 4: Brewed and served to you!

Turns out, there was debate in regards to animal cruelty with the weasel being caged and force-fed. Since then, they’ve created an enzyme treatment that mimics the “original process” and produces a coffee as distinctive as the genuine, but without the use of the rodent. It’s been said to taste strong but not bitter, for me it was (fill in the blank with an “average” word – ok, good, decent, drinkable, etc.) but definitely not spectacular for the fancy price.

*Please note that I’m not a coffee connoisseur and opinions should be made by oneself.

Next up, a recipe that includes coffee, condensed milk and raw eggs. This little concoction we call, you guessed it… egg coffee! Described as full bodied, smooth and sweet I was excited to try it especially due to the specific cafe that used to be a hidden treasure. From the street you must go through an art gallery, down an alley, up several stairs, continue with a spiral set of stairs, all just to have a seat to enjoy your coffee. I will say, the view of the lake was nice and also made for a new handstand pic!

Back to the coffee. Luckily I was with my new kiwi friends because I was faced with an unexpected dilemma. As I opened the menu to point to the egg coffee, my eyes caught the word “yogurt” followed by “cocoa” and “coffee. What? A cold iced coffee with chocolate and plain yogurt… Yeh, I know.
They each ordered an egg coffee (one cold and one hot) and I got the yog-o-coffee (I made that term up, please don’t go and ask for it, they’ll have no clue what you’re talking about).

Group opinion says:
The cold egg coffee just tasted like thick creamy iced coffee.
The hot egg coffee is better than the iced one. In his words, “like a hot coffee that had a scoop of vanilla ice cream melted into it”.
The yog-o-coffee tastes exactly like you would imagine. Cold sweetened coffee poured over plain yogurt with powdered cocoa mixed in. I think my expectations were set too high to say this was amazing, however I’d probably get it again if I ever went back, just to double check my opinion.

Moving on to edible drinks. This is a warm soy tofu type of substance with palm syrup poured over the top. The flavor isn’t bad, but definitely not good enough to consume all of that sugar!

This tempting doozie was calling my name when I assumed it was fresh fruit and yogurt. Nope, fresh fruit with coconut milk and condensed sweetened milk topped off with ice. Sugary fruit thats soaked in sugar, topped off with a fat filled creamed sugar syrup. Sounds like Buddy the elf would love it (thank you Will Farrell).

I thought this was going to be a savory rice(ish) soup. Wrong again! It’s another sugar filled, warm gooey surprise! Considering I had no idea what it was or which “color” to pick, I just shrugged my shoulders and pointed at her then the mixture to suggest that I’d like to try her favorite.

I knew she understood me when the smile hit her face as she said “you go sit”. So there I sat waiting (on the tiny chair next to the tiny stool that this entire country uses for social dining). I dig it.

For lunch options, I kept my eyes down for anything that may look appetizing along the road side.

After struggling all day trying to find a dish that didn’t have tofu, pork, chicken or fried fish, I finally broke down and stepped inside of a restaurant. The hostel I’m staying at suggested Minh Thuy’s Family Restaurant and they were spot on! The momma cook is one of the female master chefs of Vietnam and has every right to boast of her ability. With her daughter eagerly serving tables while she prepares in the kitchen, this place felt like you were eating at a friends house. I ordered the fresh spring rolls planning to have half for lunch and the rest for dinner. Yeah right, I devoured the entire plate!

In addition to all of the above, you can find corners selling “fresh beer”, (which just means on tap) for $5000 dong. That’s about 0.25 cents in the US. So for a meal, a few beers and dessert if you choose, you can easily eat on the streets of Hanoi for $1.50.

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: chicken, Egg coffee, pork, soup, soy, spring rolls, street food, tofu, Vietnam, weasel coffee | Leave a comment

Last of Cambodia and a rice wine welcome to Vietnam!

Posted on November 6, 2013 by erikamae82

Once we returned from Angkor Wat, I had just a short time before I was to depart for my next stop.

He are some random shots I took as I walked the streets of Phnom Penh. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, just moving about with my eyes open (and realizing… You just don’t see these things every day).

Last edible surprise dishes turn out to be sweet treats. The first is what looks like pomegranate seeds (they were squishy, not crunchy) with jelly noodles, a soft grain in coconut milk with ice. As refreshing as it sounds, it was fairly tasteless. The following is some type of sea noodle-like items with pumpkin and coconut milk. I prefer the darker noodle bowl as it was warm, savory and sweet!

I return to work on my last night with all of the lovely ladies that have made home away from home. Popcorn toss, a party hat and great conversation was the perfect way to end my time here.

What’s this? An adorable detailed list of suggestions from Mel in regards to my next destination… Vietnam! Thank you sweet girl, the time and effort that went into this puts the lonely planet book to shame!

With that said, here is me, Mel and Semhal on the day of my departure. Miss you already girls!

No way! It’s our buddy in the pink tuk tuk again! “Lady lady!” He says. I smile like a little school girl (and probably squealed like one too). Off I go to the airport… In style.

A quick flight and hour drive sends me to Hanoi, Vietnam. The hostel of choice was Tony’s Hotel due to its prime location and quirky description of the hospitality. Sure enough, I arrive to be greeted into a game of cards complemented with the local beverage of choice, rice wine. Side note, it has no similarities to wine… at all.

What do you get when you mix rice wine and a group of backpackers? A Japanese guy arm wrestling a local Vietnamese, refereed by a German while being viewed by the Spanish and captured on camera by an American girl. Gotta love the hostel life!

With only a few days here, tomorrow will bring a day on foot getting lost through the city!

Categories: Accommodations, Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Cambodia, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Tony's Hotel, tuk tuk, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Angkor Children’s Hospital… All starts with a pink tuk tuk!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by erikamae82

Northwest of Phnom Penh is another popular city that’s the gateway to the sacred temples of Angkor Wat. Semhal and I decided to take a weekend jaunt in that direction to explore the fascinating sights of Siem Reap. In addition to everything this historical city has to offer, it’s also home to the Angkor Children’s Hospital, a very special place that was introduced to me by a fellow traveler. (Ill describe that farther in the post). For now, lets get out of town!

7:15am – Semhal and I discuss what would be the best option to get to the bus station, a motorbike or… Wait, what’s this? A pink tuk tuk with a matching scarf around the drivers neck? Sold! What a perfect unique handstand shot! I cant dedide what I like more, his tuk tuk or that he’s holding up the hand signal for “Rock on” or “I love you”!

The bus providing us with the 6 hour journey is clean, comfortable and $13 per person.

8:45- Departure!

The first leg of the trip offers up some photos that capture the daily routine of the locals that live in nearby villages.

11:15- Our first pit stop allows for a 10 min leg stretch, bathroom break and quick snack. There was fruit, baked goods, fried plantains and a variety of spiders, crickets, and beetles… or were they worms? I’m not really sure, but either way, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to partake in this local delight!

A young local who didn’t speak English took it upon himself to show us through example, that the bugs weren’t only edible, but tasty too. Can’t you just see it in my face?

11:30- We pulled away and now have turned our focus on the bag of bugs in my lap. Since Semhal is a vegetarian (good excuse for not trying eight legged creatures) it was all on me to embrace this unique tasting.

Cricket, gross. Grasshopper, same. Bumpy worm thing, worse. Tarantula, like teriyaki jerky? Wait for it… Oh, nope… Gross.

We had to work for the other surprise snack as it was a bamboo stick that was properly packed with tightly bound leaves. Once unsealed, we found sticky rice and beans that seemed to be flavored with a touch of coconut milk.

1:20- Honestly nothing much, I just wanted to post this picture because I think it’s beautiful!

2:00- Our last break for lunch captures my eye for another handstand shot, it’s not everyday I get to kick up next to these beasts.

3:58- We arrived at the Siem Reap bus station and were quickly greeted by an adorable tuk tuk driver that led us to our hostel. We had him put a rush on it due to the fact that the hospital was closing at 5p and we still needed time to check in and donate blood.

4:32- When we arrived to the hostel we just put our bags behind the counter to save time as we took off for the Children’s center. Showered by the rain, we ran in mud covered flip flops in search of the green sign that would lead us to our donations.

4:52- As we eagerly entered, they welcomed us with a smile and a direct guide to the donation room.

I’d like to pause here for a minute and personally thank Sabrina, the backpacker I met in Spain last year who is the mind behind encouraging me to check this place out. Her sincerity towards the children and passion for helping them was more than enough to send me on my way.

Step one: Check to see if our hemoglobin number is high enough in the “donating zone”. Unfortunately Semhal’s was too low, so she got served a dose of iron pills (and dietary-nutritional advice from me) to boost her levels with the hope to donate next month. I was in the clear, so I snuck a bite of our handy rice bamboo stick (we hadn’t eaten in awhile) and now I’m feeling ready!

Step two: Lay down and let the process begin!

Step three: Trade in the awkward sack he put on your lap for a goody bag full of sugar crackers, a coke and a t-shirt!

If you ever get the chance to visit this city, I highly suggest going to the Angkor Children’s Hospital and giving 20 minutes of your time for a life enhancing experience. You get to meet the families that are directly affected by your energy and its a guaranteed spirit lifting event!

Serious side note: It’s becoming such an issue that they suggest, “If you’re taken to the hospital and you may need blood… bring a friend”. For more information on the need for supply in Cambodia, here’s a link that was just posted this month in regards to the shortage.

Categories: Edibles!, Travel talk, Uncategorized | Tags: Angkor Wat, Bus, children's hospital, Cricket, donate blood, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, tarantula, worm | 3 Comments

Cook like a Cambodian!

Posted on October 29, 2013 by erikamae82

The Cambodian cooking class is another version of the Peruvian cooking experience I enjoyed last year in Puno. Considering the kitchen is one of my favorite spots of the house, I didn’t hesitate to sign up and join in!

When you arrive, you’re greeted with a smile and a tuk tuk waiting to whisk the group off to the local market to collect the ingredients for our menu of the day. If you’d like to see the market in more detail check out the last post, “Food is meant for sharing and every human deserves to eat”.

Our kitchen? A rooftop terrace with an open view, several working stations and a lounge area. (Yes, I’m taking in notes for when I grow up and have a kitchen of my own).

Ingredients set, aprons on and it’s time to start. Generally how the class flows is by the instructor telling us what the next step is and why its necessary. We then either pitch in to complete it or in some cases, have to do it on our own for a single dish. First up, spring rolls with authentic dressing! Creating this tasty snack included a lot of shredding, massaging, squeezing, pinching and rolling… Almost sounds like a day at the spa.

We hand rolled each one before sliding it into the hot oil. While our appetizer was taking a blistering bath, we all pitched in to make the homemade sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Time to enjoy!

Next up we have a dish that I’ve been patiently waiting to try as its popular here in Cambodia and right up my alley! Fresh fish and herbs steamed in a banana leaf, sign me up!

Now, when I mention that we prepped the herbs from scratch, I mean we took these beautiful raw ingredients and pounded them in a traditional molcajete for at least 15 minutes. I will say it was neat watching them transform into a powdery paste.

Once our garden had been pulverized into a powder, we combined coconut milk, salt, sugar and local spices to the fish. Chili pepper to taste and now we have the base for fish Amok!

Hmmm, what will we ever pour this sweet fusion of flavors into? A banana boat of course! Heat the leaf, stack, bend, pin and viola… A bowl! Carefully pour in your saucy goodness and place it in the steamer.

What do we do for the next 20 minutes? Get to know a little more about the fellow chefs! Joining me around the table we have Australia, England, Germany, Switzerland, a couple from Lake Tahoe (an hour from my home town).

The fish is cooked thoroughly in our little bowl-o-banana leaf and now it’s time to eat!

For recipes and more information, please check out their website at www.cambodia-cooking-class.com.

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Cambodia, Cooking course, fish amok, market, Phnom Penh, spring rolls | Leave a comment

“Food is meant for sharing, and every human deserves to eat”.

Posted on October 27, 2013 by erikamae82

It was a year ago, the night before flying out of Malaysia and I found myself in a position of hunger as I had consumed all of my “emergency food stash” knowing my trip was coming to an end and I didn’t want to purchase more than I could eat. With no cash due to a broken ATM and no cards accepted anywhere, I walked the night market with faith that a few “samples” could hold me over.
With a rumbling tummy and a light head, I smiled my way through, stopping occasionally to drool over some tasty looking items… now that I write about it, kind of sounds like self torture! Anyway, I paused in front of a vendor to observe the options of beans, greens and soy when a gentle presence made his way to my left. With aged eyes and a frail looking body, he spoke in broken English and said, (to the best of my memory) “You should have some, it’s very good for you”. I politely declined with “Oh, I’m just looking but I’ll keep it mind, thank you”.

With the slightest head nod, he ordered two different options and turned directly to me and (very clearly in my memory) said these words:
“Food is meant for sharing and every human deserves to eat.”

He handed me a spoon and with a happy lump in my throat and a tear on my cheek, we stood there in silence sharing dinner. He smiled as he handed me the remaining and said, “Please finish… god bless”. He walked away into the crowd and left me standing there with gratitude and a new appreciation for food and mankind. After that day, my previous eagerness to share, give and enjoy with others has continuously expanded to a beautiful place in my life. Thank you peaceful stranger at the night market in Malaysia.

I’m not sure why I felt the need to share the story above, but either way it’s done and now lets move on to the scrumptious world of edibles in Cambodia!

Hello, my name is Erika… and I love food.

Typically when I’m on the road, I search for the local ripe choices that Ive never seen before or the ones that are a rare find in the states. Take Jackfruit for example, this massive fruit is one of the largest tree borne and can weigh up to 60lbs! Like most, it’s packed with fiber and nutrients but Jackfruit is one of the rare ones that also holds B complex group of vitamins. (Ill stop myself there as I can get lost in the nutrition world of edible items).

Although I’ve found it to be common in most third world countries, I still haven’t gathered total peace in purchasing from the vendors that have their raw chicken hanging above fresh fruit, or the stomach of random animals sharing the table with leafy greens. Clearly it doesn’t affect the locals, and ironically, thats what usually comes out together in a meal, but there’s something programmed in me that keeps my feet moving until I find the stand without blood next to the vegetables.

Meat and fish lovers may enjoy the following photos… Vegetarians, hold your breath and scroll quickly.

In the photos below you might be able to see the blur of the fish as they flip around. I suppose that’s the freshest you can get next to fishing for it yourself.

This puts a new meaning to a “fish stick”.

If you get hungry while shopping around, there’s always several options to choose from. The most common are a variety of spiced soups, noodles and sautéed mixtures.

My favorite Cambodian dish (so far) is the bean and taro tapioca bowl with warm coconut milk over the top, it reminds me of the rice with milk my grandma use to make. For dessert, I’ve fallen in food love with the pumpkin (the real vegetable, not the canned stuff) that has an egg custard filling topped with sweetened coconut milk and crushed ice. A homemade sweet pumpkin custard snow cone? Yes please! The most you’ll pay for either of these delights is .50 cents.
It’s also handy that you can sit down and enjoy or have it for take away in either a sealed container, plastic baggie, or to-go cup.

Then there is the small quicker options like hard boiled eggs, dried fish and pre-cut fruit. If you’re still in a snacky mood on your way out, theres never a shortage of random carts that are always politely pushing there way through with finger food items.

Along the way I spotted out this cart-o-curiosity that had been eyeballing me since I got there. What was in those silly roasted banana leaves!? Oh, a banana… Go figure. The stringy rice noodle texture surrounding the banana has me stumped, but either way, I usually prefer my bananas off the tree, straight to my hand.

Walking through these aisles of goodness, I find myself nibbling on random snacks and/or never putting my poor camera down. I’m not going to post the other few hundred pictures from the day, but here are just a few more!

So there you have the food portion of the incredible markets that are found in southern Cambodia. There will have to be a completely separate post describing the nonedible options that entertain the market seekers as well. Nail and hair salons, books and bags, construction tools to buttons and entire strips of what I would consider, a designers toy store. Look for the night market post coming soon!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: animal, Cambodia, egg, fish, frog, fruit, hungry, meat, Phnom Penh, raw, snacks, sweets, vegetable | Leave a comment

Wait, it’s not Halloween yet… Is it?

Posted on October 17, 2013 by erikamae82

After a day of exploring the Shrine we decided to keep the energy going and visit the popular Takeshita Street that leads to the crossing of Harajuku Street. For all of my California friends, think of it as the “Haight and Ashbury” of Tokyo if you will. This energetic strip has it all! Unique gift shops, local eats, costume boutiques, candy buffets and lets not leave out the 90’s themed collectors store!

Ill start off fresh with a picture that I snagged for all of my “car loving” buddies. This beauty caught my eye simply because you don’t see things like this very often while “backpacking” around.

It’s not Halloween, however year round you’ll find girls dressed in eccentric costumes just out doing their thing and always willing for a photo.

There’s definitely no question if we’re here as we approach the main entrance to Takeshita Street. Time to kick it up a notch!

Let us take a photo tour, walk with me!

You know, my backpack does have quite a bit of wear and tear. Maybe it’s time for a new one?

Sweet tooth anyone? Fruit on a stick or crepes and ice-cream!

Fruit not good enough to subside your sugar craving? How about a candy shop! A few things to be looked for in this set of pictures:
#1 The adorable host outside that is passing out free candy.
#2 The size of Jessica’s marshmallow and the gummy worm (I mean snake!) that Brandon found.
#3 The girl dressed in all black needs to be added to the list of crazy attire you’ll see around here.

I skipped out on the candy store so I could snag a Japanese single serving dish. This little bowl had root veggies, soybeans, green squiggly things and dark brown circular objects. All glazed with what tasted like a ginger teriyaki sauce and it even came with chop sticks! Is it just me, or am I starting to take on a Japanese appearance?

With the sun down and a walk behind us we slowly made our way back towards the station.

Street food! Octopus and squid balls that consist of fish, egg, spices and flour pressed into a circle before being deep fried and served.

Although I love a tasty Kabob once in awhile, I had plenty of those in Europe…

Wait! I can read a part of that menu and I see, “healthy… green…” and “…exotic”!

Salad coming up!

Too bad we already ate, this place looked inviting with several tempting combinations. I would have went with the fig, kiwi and yogurt mixture.

As we exit the main strip, the modern city buildings hypnotize you with their crazy structures and mind teasing appearances. The first one is actually formed with a series of angled mirrors!

A deep breath (of city air) is necessary to take it all in. It’s reminds me of Time Square in New York City, except nobody is yelling and there’s not a slice of pizza around every corner.

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: costumes, fruit, Harajuku street, Japan, salad, shopping, street food, Takeshita street | 2 Comments