Common afternoon snacks found around Cambodia

You may have read in my previous articles about food in Cambodia. Yes, we have plenty of food which I can write each everyday!

Grilled banana, grilled corn.. afternoon snacks

With plenty of food, it means we have plenty of choices and plenty ways of consuming them  and we eat all the time!

 

What I am going to write now is the common afternoon snacks people love to eat, normally something sour to keep them awake!

Some food are very good eating in a big group of people and I did a lot when I was living closed to my family.

 

Wood-apple (ខ្វិត)​ with mango and hog plum

I think the story of afternoon snacks due to this funny reason. In dry season, we don't have much to do so we would gathering by sitting and talking to each other. In order to entertain that gathering, everyone brings their own fruits and food for eating together in such a long talk and gathering. Now, that is not happening a lot in the countryside since people move to work in the city. In the past, women do not go out to work, they stay home and take care of house chores and children so they have so much time chatting around. These days, instead of finger food and such traditional gathering, people would go to the restaurants or shop, chitchatting with food being served or buy those food they want to eat together at work. Businessmen turn this traditional finger food culture to be a business and they make a very good money in town. 

 

Afternoon snacks can come in various forms, such as desserts/sweet, a mix of fruits, and some other dishes!

A mix of fruits and fruits

• The very common finger food is nothing beyond a mix of fruits: fruits that have sour taste, bitter taste, sweet taste, mix together and then dip in a variety of dip-sauce, non spicy and spicy and with mixture of salt as well. These fruits provide so much health benefits.
• Fruits of these variety of plants are very common among us such as mango​ - young and green one, wood apple, green banana, green hog plum​ or Ambarella (ម្កាក់), guava, jujube, young tamarind fruit, star gooseberry, santol fruits and many more. Check out the video here for the virtual tour!
• The popular areas for buying them are around Beong Keng Kang area (map) and Wat Phnom at Phnom Penh.
• Some seasonal fruits, grilled potatoes, grilled corns, lotus fruits and many others can also be an afternoon snacks

Wood apple I kept in my room for my afternoon snack 

Desserts/sweet

• It is very common and you may find them anywhere, either at local market or on the street. I love to buy these things from Toul Tompoung area of Phnom Penh but like I said earlier. It is found almost anywhere! Street venders are almost everywhere! Stop and check on your way, especially when you see many people surrounding those little stores.
• Some crispy bananas, potatoes, and rice cakes, shave ices and many other things are available here.

Finger food along the street, all crispy fried - banana, potato and others

Dessert and sweets during the day..