With rising world oil prices and restrictions on imports of pork and poultry, a nice port roast has become out of reach for many Cambodians, who have turned instead to the other white meat - rat - according to local media.
Local Khmer-language daily Kampuchea Thmey reported that the meat had become so sought after that rice farmers "in their hundreds" had set up sideline businesses catching table-ready rice fed rats for their meat.
Whereas a kilo of best quality rat meat went for around 50 cents two years ago, it now fetches up to 1.5 dollars, the paper reported.
EAS checks in with Puy Chhunly, who along with Yannick Zanchatta recently won Cambofest's coveted 'Golden Water Buffalo' award for its 'Local Showcase' category. Their short 2-D animation Little Boy Drinking Bad Water - a simple story of a common rural ailment (diarrhea) - is used for teaching about health and safety, and was an audience favorite at the festival.
What interests you in animation?
Users may think ecstasy is a drug of peace and love, but every tablet they take plays a part in destroying Cambodia's pristine Cardamom mountains and puts the lives of those fighting for the environment at risk, reports Bronwyn Sloan..
Matthew Spriggs grabs a mate, a drink and a tube in Laos.
Vang Vieng is a world away from work. Midway along the Vientiane to Luang Prabang road, Vang Vieng is a backpacker's paradise like few others in the region - a place devoted to hedonism where very little gets done and the atmosphere is pure holiday.
With the serene Nam Song river winding around it and towering limestone karsts on either side, Vang Vieng has become world famous amongst backpackers for its "slow river cruise" - an often drunken drift by inner tube down the picturesque waterway.
The Backsliders were in Cambodia for their first tour and they say they'll definitely be back. The day after their wildly successful Phnom Penh FCC gig, the Sydney-based roots-inspired blues trio took it easy. Drummer Rob Hirst and guitarist Dom Turner sat down at the scene of the previous night's triumph for a chat with EAS about blues, architecture and life after the Oils.
Tucked away under the FCC is a favorite haunt for expatriates seeking Italian comfort food with a touch of class. Pop Café da Giorgio, owned, as the name suggests, by Italian Giorgio, is cool and classy, but its prices are very friendly on the pocket.
Pizza, lasagna and home made pasta are billed as the specialties of the house, and an impressive wine list leaning towards Italian vineyards top tempt diners from the blackboard of specials as they walk in.
If you like Japanese food, and you live in Dothan, you've probably heard of Joe Cook.
Joe serves up hibachi with a side of fun almost nightly at Mikata Japanese Steakhouse, delighting customers with his culinary skill, witty banter and crowd-pleasing cooking tricks.
But just like the onions he slices, Joe has layers. Underneath the smiles and jokes, there's a deep guy who wants to help make life better for folks in his native Cambodia. Joe chooses to do this through baseball.
Psst - want to buy a genocidal maniac's used car? Thanks to eBay, this rare claim to fame is now possible. For a mere 35,000 pounds ($72,000) minimum bid, Pol Pot's alleged former stretch limo could be yours.
"Currently on display at the famous French colonial Renakse hotel (Monireth Boulevard) - opposite the Kings' Royal Palace, the car was discovered by a previous editor of the Phnom Penh Post being used to transport water melon's to the Central Market (Psar Thmei) ... The current owner purchased the car in 2001 and has painstakingly restored it to its current glory.", eBay Says.
Nata is an elegant alternative for the urbanite who knows her way around a spa. While the spa offers the usual range of services -- from aromatherapy to traditional Asian bodywork--its specialized treatments are what set the facility apart from the rest of Phnom Penh's offerings. Nata's signature body and facial treatments employ the "Methode Physiodermie," a Swiss brand of spa care that uses lymphatic drainage techniques and prescriptive, aromatic blends to promote detoxification and improve circulation.
Once, Phnom Popay, or Goat Mountain, was a heartland of Cambodia's ethnic Muslim Cham people, who raised hundreds of the creatures in this secluded spot about 50 kilometers from the capital in Kampong Speu province.
The war changed all that, and by 1970, the area was a Khmer Rouge stronghold and all the Cham had fled or been killed. Today, this again a peaceful spot, a beautiful pagoda stands surrounded by forest at the peak of a hill. Down below a stream runs, making it a favorite picnic spot for Phnom Penh people and locals alike.