Deep fried balls
It seems that I’ve arrived at Psar Thmei (Central Market) just in time to see it renovated. I imagine that the front, which is currently cleared of vendors, is being prepared to build either a twenty story apartment building or an illuminated fountain. These seem to be the two contributions of modern Cambodian culture to local architecture.
The good news is that the food at Central Market remains unchanged and untouched by development. The above balls fit into the grand genre of Cambodian sweets that consists of of bean paste coated in rice flour dough. The sesame coated balls hit the sweet/savoury bull’s eye; the sugar-crusted versions are as bad an idea as modern Cambodian market renovation. They are both crusty but retain rice flour chewiness.
Price: 4000 riel (US$1) per styrofoam clamshell
June 1st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Love the sugar-coated ones. Like TimBits with beans.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:47 pm
They’re renovating Phsar Thmei? Say it ain’t so! That’s why I’m afraid to go back to Phnom Penh — the Phnom Penh where I used to live probably ain’t there no more.
But really, I was disappointed by the title. I was hoping that it would be…you know…
;)
June 13th, 2009 at 1:17 am
slurp…mouthwatering snapshot.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
OMG! Are these the same as what Cambodian call “Num Kroach” which literally translate to “Orange Cookies”? The beans you mentioned are yellow mung beans right? I’m so craving for it now. Here in California, USA there some Khmer stores that sells it too but I don’t know, I just think that it should taste better. I’ve never taste the one in Cambodia though ehehe. I should just be happy that there are some around.