granola, coconut, and the market

Yesterday I decided to make granola. I had acquired all of the necessary ingredients after going to two different local grocery stores (wheat germ and sliced almonds are not as abundant here!) and the only thing I was still missing was coconut. Because this is Cambodia, and there are coconuts everywhere, I knew I would be able to get some fresh coconut at the market. I wasn't sure where to find it or how I would do so, but I figured I would give it a try. So I walked about five minutes down the road and around the corner from my house. So convenient!

I remember the first time I entered one of these markets in Cambodia, I was of course a bit overwhelmed with some of the sights and smells. The market is something you need to see to understand... definitely a "Where's Waldo?" experience, as I mentioned in my last post. You would see fish flopping in a plastic tub and baskets of fresh tomato, greens, onions, and carrots; maybe on the same stand. There are chickens on a chopping block, about to get their heads chopped off. Smells of grilled meat, garlic, raw fish, stale air and something sweet all come together under the dingy makeshift walls that hold parts of the market together. On the ground you might find some rice, empty shells from the river shellfish, a child's lone flip flop, straws, half of a coconut shell, and always trash...of every variety. There are at least three or four varieties of bananas hanging from a twine knot under the cover of the fruit stand. Sellers relax in their tattered hammocks until you stop for a minute in front of their stand. I used to find the market interesting but not the most desirable place to buy things. I now find it to be always enjoyable and entertaining.... and I must admit even more fun than to going to Whole Foods! It might partly be fun because I don't speak the language well (maybe that is a bit of an understatement!) so on the days where I ask for the price and hand the seller the correct change I get really excited.

I walked to the general area I thought that I had seen coconuts before. Sure enough, there they were, along with a pail of the milk and a device that shreds the flesh. I looked around, unsure if I was supposed to actually get one shredded for me, or if I was supposed to buy some in a bag that had been previously shredded. When I didn't see anything but whole coconuts, I asked the seller (who was about 14) the price for one. 1500 riel. (about 40 cents!) I indicated that I would like one coconut (please!) and gave her a look that said "I have no idea if I am supposed to turn on this machine and shred this coconut myself, but if so, I have no idea what I'm doing... so will you please do it for me?!" She got up and walked over to me and grabbed a coconut off the table. She whacked the hard shell with a sharp blade, and the milk poured out into the bucket. She flipped on the machine and it started to spin. It looked like an aluminum dish on it's side, with a rounded metal center that had small jagged edges to scrape the flesh from the edges. WIthin seconds she had only the two brown shells in her hand. She grabbed a little green plastic bag, collected the fresh white flesh in the bag and handed it to me. I was so excited! Who walks five minutes down the road to the market to get fresh shredded coconut?! Only in Cambodia! I love it! The granola was just as good!