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Cambodia is taking a pungent, potent approach to food diplomacy: prepare for prahok Home-made prahok, a Cambodian staple made from fermented fish. Photo: Instagram @kepmountainlodge
Mention Indian cuisine and curry might come to mind, while sushi is one of the most well-known dishes from Japan. But what food is generally associated with Cambodia?
If the country s government and people have their way, it will most certainly be prahok. Described as the secret ingredient in any Khmer kitchen, the salted, crushed and fermented fish paste is used as a seasoning or condiment to add depth of flavour to just about every dish. It s so pungent that it is also sometimes known as Cambodian cheese , and is usually eaten with rice or vegetables, or as a dipping sauce.
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Court reprieve for China’s rare green peafowl but it’s not out of the woods yet The green peafowl was thought to be extinct in China. Photo: Weibo
A court in southwestern China has upheld a landmark lower-court ruling to suspend work on a massive hydropower project that environmentalists say would push the endangered green peafowl to extinction.
But the Yunnan Higher People s Court also dismissed an environmental group s formal legal bid to end the construction for good and permanently safeguard the habitat of a species that is rarer than the giant panda.
The green peafowl is China s only native peacock, with just 500 estimated to be left in the wild after decades of excessive hunting, loss of habitat, pesticide poisoning and deforestation.
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Life in China turned magical with a touch of Mandarin Tourists take in the autumn scenery at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
Your correspondent Hira Khalid is not the only one to have experienced the courtesy of China and its people ( Why China is a second home to foreign students like me , December 27). I came away with similar feelings when I was stationed in Beijing years back, and where I had a pleasant stay.
Despite my Chinese appearance and attempts at speaking curled tongue Mandarin, Beijingers could identify me as a Hongkonger and affectionately offered me many innocent privileges. They treated me even better than a foreigner, because my pseudo-native Mandarin skills earned their respect.
Baguettes, rye bread, pastries, honey cake – three artisan bakers in Hong Kong whose loaves and Viennoiserie fly off the shelves Artisan baker Alex Strelits-Strele with the gift that started him baking. Photo: courtesy of Mayse Bakery
Understandably, after a year of staying at home, baking has never been more popular. Instagram and other social media feeds are filled with pictures of sourdough starters, twisted babkas and iced cupcakes. But even with so many people baking at home, commercial bakeries are still busy.
Swiss baker Gregoire Michaud, who spent 15 years leading the pastry team at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central, Hong Kong, recently opened a second outlet of his hugely popular Bakehouse. The queues at the SoHo branch are as long as those at the original Wan Chai location, and are testament to his beautiful breads and pastries.