In Siem Reap, several restaurants offer cooking classes to learn how to prepare local dishes. To begin our culinary experience, our teacher took us on a tour of the local market. This open air market, called Old Market, is just a block away from the restaurant where our cooking classes were held. Local farmers bring their fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices along with a variety of meats to the market to sell. The market is very busy and unlike any food shopping experience I have ever had. Here are some photos from our trip through Old Market. (Old Market also sells household goods, souvenir t-shirts and other touristy stuff but this post will focus on food.)
Coconuts
Jackfruit
Rambutan
Various produce and spices
Lots of fresh vegetables
Mangos in front (yellow). Behind the mangos, from left to right: mangosteens (small, round, purple), dragonfruit (oval, spiky pink skin, white inside with tiny blackseeds), various types of apples and pears. In the back and sitting up a little higher, rambutan and (i think) mutpreng.
Produce
Bananas
Freshly sliced and peels fruits for take away
Mounds of fresh herbs
Dried meats and fish
Fresh meats
Chickens
Chicken feet
Fresh fish
"Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads"
Shrimps of all sizes
Tiger prawns...check out the blue legs
Crabs
Live fish...and a little girl with her feet in the same bucket that will be used to wash off your fish.
Kampot pepper (green) and little clams
Tamarind (in the green plastic bag), a spice often used in desserts
Dried spices...I will definitely be taking some of these home with me when I return to the states.
Right in the middle of all the food stalls are counters where you can have a meal freshly prepared.
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