A country’s culinary soul is revealed through its markets, and Cambodia is no exception. Phnom Penh’s central market, known as Phsar Thmey (New Market), is the largest in Southeast Asia. Built in the 1930s, this huge Art Deco-style dome built by the French is all yellow and located in the heart of the city center. It has four wings and is packed with stalls of all kinds. Impressive jewelry, clothes and kitchen utensils are sold here, as well as fruit and vegetables, fish and meat, whose stalls adjoin those of hairdressers, beauticians and seamstresses, who work here during the day for all to see.
Located to the southwest of the city, Phnom Penh’s Russian market is also well worth a visit. A play of light and shade with its wooden framework, this market was much frequented by foreigners, back when most of the foreign community in Cambodia was Russian, hence its name. You’ll find tons of stuff here, including Khmer handicrafts, but here again, the food stalls are the most impressive, with their incredible fruit.
If you want a taste of local market life, head to Old Market, or Phsar Chas, as this is where the locals do their shopping. You won’t find souvenirs here, but tropical fruit and vegetables, pieces of meat hanging from hooks, or fish and chickens still alive.
The markets of Cambodia have been visited on numerous trips since 2008.
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