blue pumpkins and roasted duck

I officially declare myself a slave to the Blue Pumpkin. No, it is not some odd cult but rather a bakery/cafe in Siem Reap town which sells homemade bread and ice cream. They sell breads which I intend to bake sometime soon, like focaccia and those crusty round breads with rye in them, breads which one does not normally find in an average bakery. They also sell muffins of different flavours as well as cakes and other pastries.

My first encounter with the Blue Pumpkin was when we went there for dessert after dinner. It was recommended by Lonely Planet and we decided to try it out. I ordered a chocolate linga, which is essentially a chocolate brownie shaped like a penis. The person serving us giggled as he took it out of the freezer, only to drop it on the floor. Luckily there was one last piece left for yours truly.

I think my infatuation is caused largely by my current obsession with baking. I bought a loaf of black olive bread yesterday and it tasted pretty good. I just wished I had some ham to go along with it. I intend to buy a loaf of bread from there everyday; my bread for tomorrow is a farmer’s loaf.

We tried crocodile and snake meat today at this restaurant called Cambodian BBQ. Crocodile tasted like chicken while snake tasted like really lousy fish. The portions given did not justify the price tag and we ended up eating another dinner at a roadside stall later in the evening.

More conventionally, I tried out the roasted duck sold at one of the roadside stalls that lined the roads. Half a duck sold for 2 USD, which is about 2.6 SGD. What immediately stuck me, on top of the cheery grin of the lady selling the ducks, is the small size of the duck. It was only about 60% the size of the large ones we have sold in our supermarkets back home. The meat is harder, but much more flavourful than that of the farmed birds we get back at home. The meat is also less oily, despite being roasted. The mantra of the whole food/ slow food advocates is proven right, at least at this instance; naturally obtained produce is better than farmed produce, both in terms of taste as well as nutrional value.

A more general note about food. Locals in Cambodia routinely quote inflated prices for their services and wares to tourists, who must than bargain, but I noticed that this does not apply to food. Whenever we bought food from the locals, the prices are never jacked up to milk us of our tourist dollars. Perhaps this shows that food is sacred and something close to the hearts of all; the normal impulses of the commercial imperative does not extend to such a crucial commodity as food.

I think food unites. When foreigners make honest attempts to try out the local food and immerse themselves in the local food culture, the locals do appreciate it and it immediately forges a bond. When we went to the local market for breakfast today, we were helped along by the locals and the people selling their food to us were very friendly. The lady who sold us noodles enquired if we liked the steaming bowls of noodles she served, while the uncle at the drinks stall helped us find a translator so that we can order food properly. The same happened in Psar Thmei in Phnom Penh; the food stall aunties were especially helpful and made small talk with us even though they spoke limited English.