Comments on: 6 rules of Cambodian street food eating

By: Speedlinking: Blogs on Cambodia « My Several Worlds

Speedlinking: Blogs on Cambodia « My Several Worlds — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:27:46 +0000

[...] Phnomenon : food in Cambodia 6 rules for eating Cambodian street food. [...]

By: Liuzhou Laowai

Liuzhou Laowai — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:51:49 +0000

“If snake’s blood was really that delicious, McDonald’s would have a cobra-flavoured sundae.”

When did McDonalds start selling anythng delicioius?

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:45:59 +0000

Acutally, if you were sick the following morning, Giardia wasn’t to blame. The incubation period for Giardia is around 2 weeks – so you don’t get sick until a couple of weeks after drinking contaminated water. But no matter, diarrhea from any microbe is not fun…

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:29:59 +0000

My rule is much faster – if it’s fried, it’s fine. But the only street food I’m after on my trips to Nicaragua are the tacos anyway. Glorious, mysteriously mustardy, deep-fried tacos with crema and cabbage. Why do the gods tempt me with such atrocities???

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:17:43 +0000

Re: drinking vs cooling ice, it’s not quite as simple as the round-with-a-hole vs the big blocks. In PP at least, I’ve found some ice vendors with big blocks that are for cooling but also big blocks that are for drinking. The latter is more expensive, of course.

(Either that, or they were just trying to rip me off and I was lucky that I didn’t get sick… But I don’t think so.)

That said, since the round ice is always OK for drinking, it’s a good visual identifier.

I’m still wary of cold street food though.

- Michael

By: Global Voices Online » Cambodia: Surviving Street Food

Global Voices Online » Cambodia: Surviving Street Food — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:03:43 +0000

[...] Phnomenon has a “rough guide to surviving (Cambodian) street food“ Share This [...]

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:11:00 +0000

Maytel – You’re right on the ice – I should have differentiated more clearly between drinking ice and cooling ice. I’ll add something.

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:42:33 +0000

Nice list. I first discovered the crowd thing in Hanoi, dumped my Lonely Planet and just ate at the busiest street stalls. I am still guilty of being stupid though in breaking rule six although I kept my “shit kit” of various blockers and antibiotics from the the travel medicine doctor handy which helped most emergencies.

By: Maytel

Maytel — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:19:55 +0000

I agree with all your points except on the subject of ice. I ended up with giardia when I let my guard down in Prey Veng and got a little too cavalier with the local ice. I had a huge chunk of ice and in the middle was a strange suspended black thing…at the time I thought “oh well, it’s a while until the ice melts” but the next day I was struck down with the hideousness that is giardia. It is still wise advice to ask if the ice is “anamay”. “Anamay” aka hygienic ice is always round with a hole in it, like an ice life saver. Unsafe ice comes in big square chunks or chips and sometimes has unidetifiable black things suspended in the middle. Precious life lessons….