Jump to content
mollydooker

Delicious ??

Recommended Posts

mollydooker
 

BATTAMBANG, Cambodia: As he tears off a leg of a charcoal-grilled rat at a roadside stall in western Cambodia, Yit Sarin hails the simple joy of rodent and rice washed down with beer.

“It’s delicious,” he says of the snack.

 

Barbecued field rats are not everybody’s idea of a tasty treat, but in Cambodia’s rural Battambang province they are popular as a quick – and cheap – snack, with small skewered ones going for US$0.25 (RM1.05) each, while larger rodents can cost US$1.25.

 

Rats were commonly eaten in the 1970s, under the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, when frogs, tarantulas and other small creatures were considered fair game as a means to survive.

 

Now they are simply an inexpensive lunch for workers and farmers – though there is disagreement over what its meat tastes like.

Sarin tells AFP that rat is like “chicken or beef“, whereas others say it’s more like pork.

 

He is one of many customers and Cambodian tourists stopping at a stall outside of Battambang town, where rows of grilled field rats are displayed over burning coals and served with dipping sauces made from lime juice, black peppers or chillies.

 

Vendor Ma Lis says the snack has grown in popularity since she launched her stall more than a decade ago and sold just a few kilogrammes a day.

Today, she can net daily sales of around 20 kilogrammes, making brisk business from van-loads of travelling Cambodians and the occasional curious foreigner.

The holiday season also spells bad news for the field rodents – Ma Lis can sell up to 180 large rats a day on the Cambodian New Year or water festival.

 

Dismissing any health concerns one might have about eating her unconventional treat, Ma Lis says her rodents are caught from rice fields and are good for you.

“These rats are healthier than pork and chicken... they eat lotus roots and rice grains,” she says, as she flips the barbecued bodies on the grill.

Despite the snack’s enduring appeal, many people remain squeamish.

“They feel it is disgusting,” she says, smiling. - AFP

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
andy
2 hours ago, mollydooker said:

though there is disagreement over what its meat tastes like.

 

Delicious I don't think I would go that far, but their were some birds in a tray too and they were very delicious. But the Battambang rice rat tastes like rat.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • If you would like to join to begin posting and become an active member, feel free to click on THIS LINK, to register. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the Forum Operations / Issues forum. If you register, but then are unable to log in, please feel free to post concerns in the Having Problems Logging In? forum. We will address any and all questions, comments, or concerns, as quickly as possible. Welcome to the Living In Cambodia Forums! 

    Welcome to the forum!

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use & Guidelines. Here is our Privacy Policy.