As full as an egg

Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarreling.

So says Mercutio, regarding the “Egg Man” debate currently raging in The Cambodia Daily letters page. For those of you playing at home, Phnom Penh’s aural landscape is punctuated by motorcyclists with a cartful of eggs and a loudspeaker that intones the looped words “PORNG MOAN AING PSOUM KROUENG PISEH” (Barbecued eggs with special sauce!). He’s up there with my favorite street vendor sounds: not as good as the Lambada-obsessed icecream vendor but more entertaining that the bread delivery guy who yells “nuuuuuum pan” (Breeeead!).

A few days ago the Cambodia Daily published a letter from an incensed expat, disturbed at 9am by an Egg Man’s call. This followed with an outpouring of support for the Egg Men, along with a follow up from the original writer pointing out that Phnom Penh has banned mobile loudspeakers. Essentially this is as good as local coverage of street food gets.

John from Jinja follows up with an interview with the Egg Man.

6 thoughts on “As full as an egg”

  1. If he’s no louder than your average Khmer wedding, and doesn’t start his cacaphony at 4:00 or 5:00AM, what’s the problem?

    How would anyone be able to buy baguettes, their morning soup, or even the Cambodia Daily if not for street vendors with a sufficiently loud morning announcement?

  2. Hi Phil,
    Thanks for mentioning EAS. John could not help him self after reading the letters in the “daily”.

    Cheers
    AG

  3. You forgot the tagline: “mean ruhchiet chnguy-chnganh!” (Or something like that) – i.e., “with a delicious flavor!”

    But more importantly, Phil – why aren’t you trying these delicacies and reporting on how they taste?

    – Michael

  4. What an arse (the original letter-writer). A bit like urbanites who buy a second home in the country and then whine because hey, it smells like farm animals out here!
    Presumably one doesn’t move to Phnom Penh expecting it will be just like home.
    Also, what Michael said.

  5. Micheal – I could never work out that last bit. I thought that they were saying something more ludicrous like “khnyom choulchet Taiwan”.

    And also, I’m planning on such a blog post, where I eat everything that makes noise and moves past my house at a low enough speed.

    Geeyore – thanks for your massive comment over here.

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