"Go eat "Snake Eggs", a creepy menu at Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia"

Siem Reap: A Gateway to Angkor

Siem Reap, also known as Siemrat, is a province in northwestern Cambodia, bordering Tonle Sap Lake. Located 314 kilometers from Phnom Penh, it is accessible by a 5-hour drive from the capital or a 2-3 hour drive from the Thai border. Recent road improvements ensure a smooth journey throughout the route.

The word "Siem Reap" means "Land of Siam" because in the past this city was under Thai rule. Until we lost the border territory of Cambodia, namely Siem Reap, Sisophon, Battambang and Poipet, to the French during the reign of King Rama V. When Cambodia gained independence, the name of the city of Siem Reap was changed to "Siem Reap", which means "Siam was defeated". This is due to the war that took place during the reign of King Borommarachathirat (Chaophraya Chanthara), which was a war between Cambodia and Siam in 1546 AD, which appears in the Khmer chronicle of 1217 AD only. It says...

"...He ascended the throne in the year 1462 (C.S. 902) of the Chula Sakarat era, the year of the Rat, for 25 years. He was 55 years old. The King of Ayutthaya then led his army to the capital city. In that year of the Rat, he led his army to the capital city and defeated the King of Ayutthaya, who fled. King Chantharaja captured many Thai prisoners and then returned to take possession of the throne..."

Some scholars speculate that the name "Siem Reap" was adopted in place of "Siem Rat" after the Franco-Thai War. During the conflict, Lieutenant Colonel Plaek Phibunsongkhram, then commander of the Isan and Eastern Army, led an incursion across the border to expel the French from the territories on the right bank of the Mekong River, including Battambang and Siem Rat. However, the Siamese forces were defeated. Consequently, the city of Siem Rat was renamed "Siem Reap".

The term "เสียม" refers to "Siam," while "เรียบ" signifies "death" or "defeat." Consequently, "เสียมเรียบ" carries the poignant meaning of "Siam's defeat," a sentiment that resonates to this day.

That evening, my first meal in Cambodia, we dined at a lakeside restaurant. Naturally, given our location on Tonle Sap Lake, renowned as the world's most fish-abundant body of water, the meal that greeted us consisted primarily of fish and shrimp. However, a surprise awaited us in the form of a dish composed solely of tiny, dried red egg yolks stir-fried with herbs, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. The taste was unique and delicious.

Many people enjoyed the meal, especially my son, who ate a lot. As I was about to take a bite, the sharp eyes of an elderly photographer from Thailand caught something lying dead in the yolk. He put down his spoon and picked it out to examine it.

It was a baby snake, a tiny serpent curled up dead inside the egg from which it had hatched.

The revelation caused a stir among the group. The host then informed us that the dish we were savoring was the most prestigious and expensive delicacy offered by the restaurants surrounding Tonle Sap Lake. It was none other than the renowned "Stir-fried Snake Eggs with Herbs," a culinary masterpiece unique to Siem Reap.

The discovery that the dish contained snake eggs, retrieved from the lake and cooked for their meal, was met with a collective shift in appetite. Diners opted for the relatively bland tom yum soup in the hot pot, reasoning that fish, however tasteless, was preferable to snake eggs. However, as they continued eating, doubts arose about the fish itself. Its blandness was unlike anything they had encountered before, sparking questions and unease.

"Perhaps it's a snakehead fish…"

Everyone told each other and helped to push the fish in the pot. It was strange that the way the Khmer people at Tonle Sap cut the fish seemed completely unskilled, even though this is the place with the most freshwater fish in the world. Why do they cut the fish into long pieces instead of into sections, which would make it easier for the fish to absorb the flavor of the curry or soup?

But what kind of fish is it...

The guide's revelation nearly sent us reeling. The snake we had just encountered was a type of water snake common in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake, similar to the "ngoo sing" found in Thailand. This snake is often skinned and used in spicy stir-fries, herbal dishes, and even boiled soups. Needless to say, our appetites vanished instantly. We all excused ourselves to the restroom, vowing never to eat anything without first inquiring about its origin. This experience served as a stark reminder to always ask about the ingredients before consuming any unfamiliar dish.

"Do not honor us excessively by offering us your esteemed food."

The Tonle Sap, or Great Lake of Cambodia, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Located in the central part of Cambodia, it covers an area of approximately 7,500 square kilometers, which is about seven times the size of Bangkok. The lake is formed by the Mekong River, which flows through it for a distance of 500 kilometers. It encompasses five provinces of Cambodia: Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, and Siem Reap. The Tonle Sap is renowned for its abundance of freshwater fish, with an estimated 300 species residing in its waters. It is said that in the past, the lake was so teeming with fish that anyone who jumped in would instantly catch one without even aiming. Consequently, a significant number of Cambodians living around the lake are engaged in fishing as their primary occupation.

Currently, Tonle Sap is a land of stateless people where the Cambodian government has granted a concession to Sujing Co., Ltd. to manage tourist boats on Tonle Sap and build a road to the newly constructed port, which is being built on a grand scale. In the future, there will also be accommodation in the middle of the lake for tourists to experience the life of the Tonle Sap people more closely.

The purpose of the tour to Tonle Sap Lake was to introduce tourists to the lives of a group of stateless people in Cambodia who live on boats. These people have no land to call their own and will never be able to live on land. Their origins are said to be partly due to the migration of Vietnamese people to Cambodia. Additionally, the original inhabitants of this area of the lake were a group of Vietnamese soldiers who refused to return home after the war ended.

The Khmer Rouge Purge: A Turning Point in Cambodian History

The history of Tonle Sap Lake is inextricably linked to the tumultuous events of the Vietnam War and the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Following the overthrow of the US-backed Lon Nol government in 1975, the victorious Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, embarked on a brutal campaign to consolidate their power and eliminate any potential threats.

One of their first targets was the Vietnamese-trained soldiers within their own ranks. Fearing that Vietnam harbored ambitions of establishing an Indochinese federation under its control, the Khmer Rouge leadership initiated a systematic purge of these soldiers, suspecting them of harboring pro-Vietnamese sympathies. This act marked a turning point in Cambodian history, setting the stage for the horrific atrocities that would follow under the Khmer Rouge regime.

The purge of Vietnamese-trained soldiers not only decimated the ranks of the Cambodian military but also sowed deep mistrust and resentment between Cambodia and Vietnam. This mistrust would later erupt into open conflict in the form of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, further exacerbating the suffering of the Cambodian people.

The history of Tonle Sap Lake, therefore, cannot be understood without acknowledging the dark legacy of the Khmer Rouge and the devastating impact of their policies on the lives of countless Cambodians. The purge of Vietnamese-trained soldiers stands as a stark reminder of the dangers of paranoia and the human cost of political extremism.

In May 1975, the newly established Democratic Kampuchea government, led by the Khmer Rouge, initiated a war with Vietnam by attacking the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. Subsequently, sporadic fighting continued between the two countries for years, with China attempting to mediate between them but failing to achieve an acceptable compromise. By the end of 1978, Vietnamese leaders decided to invade Cambodia to overthrow the Khmer Rouge-controlled Democratic Kampuchea government, viewing the Khmer Rouge as pro-Chinese and overly antagonistic towards Vietnam. On December 25, 1978, 150,000 Vietnamese troops invaded Democratic Kampuchea and defeated the Kampuchean Revolutionary Army within two weeks.

On January 8, 1979, the pro-Vietnamese People's Republic of Kampuchea was established in Phnom Penh. This marked the beginning of a ten-year Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. Vietnam withdrew in 1989 due to intense diplomatic and economic pressure from the international community.

Over the past decade, a contingent of Vietnamese soldiers established themselves in Cambodia through marriage with Cambodian women, following a policy of assimilation. However, when Vietnam granted Cambodia independence, these soldiers refused to return and remained residing in Tonle Sap Lake. Consequently, they were denied Cambodian citizenship and the right to own land on the mainland.

Forced to live on the lake like people without land, they rely on the support of Vietnamese public charities, which have helped the community build schools.

Currently, South Korea, which has invested in Cambodia, has established Korean language schools to enable the younger generation to learn and speak Korean, facilitating their adaptation to working in Korean factories built in collaboration with the Cambodian government.

Thank you.

• Infinity Plus Trading Co., Ltd.

• FOTOPRO THAILAND provides photography equipment.