Cambodia

Cambodian Kroeung Paste

By Tona Sop

Kroeung Paste is the main ingredient in Khmer dishes. It made from chopped lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, Kaffir lime zest, garlic, and shallot ground together in the mortar or in a food processor. Kroeung gives the unique flavor and fragrance in the food. All the representative Khmer dishes contain Kroeung. There are 3 types of Kroeung. The yellow Kroeung is all purpose paste that can be used in soups, stir fried, marinated or steamed. The green Kroeung is good for soup (Samlor Majou Kroeung and Samlor Korko) and coconut Kroeung steamed fish. In some areas (regions), people make Samlor Majou Kroeung for their wedding parties. There is also Kroeung in red color, which we make by adding dried red chili. It is made for Cambodian curry. One Cambodian proverb says: If this food doesn’t have Kroeung, it cannot be called Khmer food.

My First Day in the United States

By Rothnaly Sreng

My name is Rothnaly Sreng. I am from Cambodia. I have lived in the United States for 3 years. I would love to share my first experience and first day in the United States in January 2019. I was shocked when I came out from the airport because the weather was super cold for me. And on the way home I was amazed by the roads and the highways in this modern country. But on the way home I stopped by at the store and when I talked to a cashier, she wasn’t understanding me, and she ignored me. I was really upset and disappointed. I have lost confidence in my English since the first day I entered the United States.

After a while I was looking for the school but because of the pandemic I decided to stay home.

Now I’ve found a good college. I got my first ESL class at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) in spring quarter. My teacher is so amazing and talented of teaching. I like the way she teaches me in the class.

The Best Place to Visit in My Country

By Sawine Thongthip

There are so many places to visit in Cambodia but the best one is Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a complex temple in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat is located northeast in the Siemreap province in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is in the jungle seven kilometers from the city. It was built in the 12th century and was started by Suryavarman the 2nd and finished by Suryavarman the 7th. Angkor Wat has five temples that look like the five fingers. The middle temple is the tallest, with two shorter temples on each side, just like fingers on a hand. There is a pond in front with a road running through the middle. The pond reflects the temple of Angkor Wat. Every year Angkor Wat brings 2.6 million visitors from all over the world.

I got to visit Angkor for the Cambodian New Year when I was young. The ceremony for the New Year starts on April thirteenth and finishes on April fifteenth. It is called Angkor Sangkran. During Angkor Sangkran, they show the lifestyle of people living in Cambodia during the twelfth century when the temple was built. I got to see women going barefoot and wearing traditional sarongs with very simple hairstyles. The men wore only shorts, with no shirts or shoes. Performers played the tro, which is a traditional string instrument played with a bow. Other performers played the kim, a string instrument played with mallets, kind of like a xylophone.

During my visit to Angkor Wat, I also tried new foods and ate all different kinds of fruit. My favorite kind was yellow plums. People were also selling souvenirs. I bought a small purse made from silk. It had an Angkor Wat logo on it. My favorite part of the trip was watching the traditional dancing for blessings in front of the temple. The dancers carried sticks with bags to collect donations. They performed a folk dance called Robam Trot to bring happiness and good luck.

After the dancing, I watched traditional boxing called bokator. That was also very exciting. It was fun to be surrounded by lots of people. The dancing and boxing were very exciting. I enjoyed watching them. But I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to watch where my family was, and I lost my way in the crowd of people. One minute my family was with me and then when I turned around, they were gone. I felt scared and I didn’t know what to do. Finally, the people around me started to move and I saw my family. I was so excited to find them again. They were happy to see me, too.

I learned a lot from my trip to Angkor Wat. While I was visiting, I saw all kinds of music, art, lifestyle, and sport that I’d never seen before. And I learned about the history of Cambodia. Most of all I learned to stay close to my family. When I went to Angkor Wat people could only go once a year. But now Cambodians can go to Angkor Wat anytime they want. The least you can do when you visit Cambodia is going visit the temple of Angkor Wat.