First – let me start with the disclaimer that Catherine is okay. Fortunately ingesting seeds rarely results in acute toxicity. One afternoon last week, I gave the girls each half of a Sugar Apple (also known as a Sweetsop or Custard Apple) as a snack. They’ve eaten these many times without incident but this time,…
Author: Charles
Dirty Money
I spotted this at the local grocery shop and thought it was an apt reminder that money is dirty (and not just in Cambodia). Remember to wash your hands after handling it!
Picture Frame Shop
I visited the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, Pennsylvania before we left North America to find special gifts that speak to the Anabaptist identity. As globalization and consumerism have spread, it’s become harder to bring gifts from North America* that can’t be found here and harking back to older traditions is a way to ensure…
What are you having for Breakfast?
Yesterday, I asked the girls what they were having for breakfast. They were sharing rice and pork, a typical breakfast meal here that I’ll share a bit more about later.
Update on Charlotte’s Heel
I wanted to give you a quick update on Charlotte’s Bike Injury. We had a check-up at the Doctor yesterday and, as you can see, it has been healing well. There’s still some swelling around the ankle and one wound that’s still open. Charlotte’s been quite enthusiastic about physical activities since returning to school despite…
In Support of a Plastic Ban
This afternoon on a road near Charlotte’s school I got a photo that illustrates the need for a single use plastics ban. I think this one speaks for itself.
គុយទាវ | Kuy Teav
Kuy Teav is a Cambodian rice noodle soup similar to but distinct from Vietnamese Phở. It’s a popular breakfast item across Southeast Asia – with local variants like Hủ Tiếu in Viet Nam, Kway Teow in Malaysia, and Kuai Tiao in Thailand. It’s usually made with pork stock. It uses different spices and rice noodles…
Single Use Plastics Ban
The Khmer Times shared some news this morning that seems too good to be true. Yesterday, the Environment Ministry announced that it is preparing to ban single use plastics in Cambodia. The Thai government announced a similar initiative earlier this week. Biodegradable containers like banana leaf were used in traditional Khmer society. These were thrown…
ផ្លែទៀប | Sugar Apple
Also known as the Custard Apple or Sweetsop, I thought for the longest time that this was Milk Fruit but it’s actually Custard Apple. In Khmer, it’s called ផ្លែទៀប (plae tieb). It’s a sweet fruit with a mild citrusy taste. It has many large seeds that are smooth and quite solid. The outer shell peels…
Cambodian Spice Pack
This morning at the local market I picked up two of what I call ‘Cambodian spice packs.’ In traditional rural life, villagers wouldn’t buy these ingredients but would have them growing in their yards. Life is a bit different in the city – though many homes still have these growing in pots – so they’re…