Tag: Marina Shafik

Provincial foodies descend on the capital

THERE’S SOMETHING IN CAMBODIA that glues people together, encouraging folk to share quality moments or stories about life. This glue that binds – food – is the sticky rice which unites the country. Khmer cuisine is one of the world’s oldest: simplicity, freshness, regionalism, elegance in the use of spices and extravagant presentation are but a few of the traits for which this gastronomy is praised. This month, the Cambodian Cuisine Festival invites you to explore national food treasures firsthand, be they amok and num songvak from Battambang province, mi kola from Pailin, fried frogs from Takeo province or typical street vendor’s favourites.

“Unfortunately, in the 1970s during Pol Pot’s time, nearly all of our cuisine was wiped out,” explains Rano Reach Sy Fisher, from Pour Un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), the NGO organising the festival. “Behind this festival, there is big research involved. We combed all of the provinces and sometimes we stayed in a village for a few weeks to get to know local people, particularly women, since in Cambodia the passing of recipes is transmitted from mother to daughter.”

What started as a small charity party on PSE’s campus eight years ago has since become an institution, attracting more than 8,000 visitors of every hue. “People travel the world and discover new dishes,” Rano explains. “Here it’s the same, but on a small scale. For Cambodians it’s a way to rediscover their own identity; for foreigners, a way to know more about the country.”

Unique delicacies from 18 provinces are poised to steal focus, including five newly updated dishes, rediscovered recipes and 20 books representing street food and its evolution. “In England you have Gordon Ramsay,” Rano grins, “but here you go to the streets and you find Ramsay everywhere, creating new things.”

Asked about his favourite dish of previous years, Rano cites stuffed frogs. “They are stuffed with very rich ingredients and then deep-fried. They are amazing!” But the fare which reduces him to Proustian time travel is, of course, dessert: “The gems of Khmer cuisine are desserts. Anything with sticky rice brings me home and to my granny’s cooking.” Care to try your own hand at making Cambodian desserts? A stand showcasing the ‘Sweet Taste of Cambodia’ offers a collection of regional recipes. Beyond the food, expect live music, martial arts, comedians, traditional dance and a kids’ playground.

WHO: Anyone with an appetite
WHAT: Cambodian Cuisine Festival
WHERE: Olympic Stadium
WHEN: 5pm March 28 & 29
WHY: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world” – JRR Tolkien

The wisdom of street vendors

On the streets of Phnom Penh and Vienna, a man with a self-produced oven waits for busy passers-by to slow their pace and join him for a free lunch. It takes two hours for a meal to be prepared on that primitive stove, long enough to make two perfect strangers a bit closer, share some humorous jokes and reflect together on the crazy race of urban life. Who is this man? Why is he doing this?

Rainer Prohaska, Austrian artist of international fame, is one of the six protagonists of On The Streets, showcased at Java Arts until February 22. The exhibition is a comparative look at the effects of migration and global capital in Phnom Penh and other locations, through the observation of street vendor culture.

But let’s go back to the man and the oven. “The world of street vendors is pure fascination to me. I have been working on street life thematic for almost 15 years,” Rainer says. The Viennese artist, who takes his cooking projects around the world, often makes kitchens out of shopping carts, symbolising the dynamism of street life and nomadic society.

Dialogue is another important element in Rainer’s art. This form of confrontation, to him, is a way we can see the other and not lose ourselves. As English poet John Donne said: “No man is an island.” Therefore, in this hectic world where people are too self-focused and distracted by urban life, projects like these remind us never to forget the importance of social interaction as a mean of growth. “I do more or less what people here in the streets do, using kitchen tools as a space for conversation. I always seek the participation of the audience. The rule is that people have to cook with me and use this time as a moment of sharing and confrontation.”

This project is one of many interesting artworks in On The Streets. On the ground floor, Sandrine Lloquet’s sculptural installation catches the eye. The artist turned a juice-and-coffee cart into a curiosity cabinet. An old drum, mysterious stones, a dusty book, glass ampoules and other enigmatic found objects talk about past stories and open up a space for meditation.

In a liquid time of globalisation and continuous changes, this installation is an invitation not to forget our own roots and identity, without foregoing a healthy curiosity and sense of wonder towards what differs from us. Only in this way people can avoid being dispersed in the levelling ocean of modern life.

Ashley Billingsley, Margaret Honda, Amy Lee Sanford and Kong Vollak complete this comparative exhibition made of chorographical artistic actions which bring visitors to a journey down the streets of Boston, Los Angeles, Phnom Penh, Saigon and Vienna. Are you ready to embark?

WHO: All and sundry
WHAT: On The Streets exhibition
WHERE: Java Arts, #56 Sihanouk Blvd.
WHEN: Until February 22
WHY: Avoid being dispersed in the levelling ocean of modern life