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Sosoro Museum

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Sosoro Museum Introduces Cambodia’s Monetary History Through Oldest Coin Nestled in the heart of the city, near the night market and the heritage block, is the SOSORO Museum. A historic building which housed the former town hall residence in 1908 and the Phnom Penh municipality in 1920, and has been the museum of Economy and Money PREAH SREY IÇANAVARMAN since 2012. “The Museum is unlike any other in Cambodia,” Blaise Kilian stated. As the Co-Director of the Sosoro Museum, Kilian is excited to finally see the venue open and it has already been attracting attention from many local students and families. Although the museum was officially open in April 2019, the venue hasn’t been fully available until November 2021 due to restrictions placed from the pandemic. “We receive a lot of young Cambodians, mostly students and young professionals who walk in spontaneously,” Kilian stated. “We have also started to organize school trips – although not all schools are ready yet after the long months of Covid induced restrictions – and corporate tours whereby companies bring their employees to visit. We are also looking forward to welcoming international tourists as Cambodia reopens to international travel and we have already started to work with international tours in this regard.” Kilian explained how there was a huge effort to contextualise the exhibited artifacts so that the visitors can rely on a narrative throughout the 12 modules of the exhibition that span over two floors. ”The Museum offers an overview of 2,000 years of Cambodia’s history through the economic and monetary angle”, Kilian stated. “It is therefore a useful addition to existing museums that are usually focused on archaeology or on specific aspects of Cambodia’s history (mostly Angkor and the Khmer Rouge period). It also plays a major role in raising awareness about the close interaction between society, politics and economics throughout history. Everyone who is interested in Cambodia will enjoy visiting the Museum as it allows one to travel through the various periods of its history. The Museum is very modern and interactive with state-of-the-art museography.” Some of the museum’s most alluring attractions are the oldest medal coin issued by a Khmer King in the 7th century and a giant digital screen where visitors can inspect and discover the detailed markings of security displayed on modern banknotes. An interesting fact that Kilian discovered through the exhibitions, is the evidence of no monetary system used during the Angkor empire. The oldest evidence of currency used in Cambodia, is the silver coin with an etching of a rising sun. Although the coin originated from ancient Myanmar, this coin was widely circulated in the 5th-8th centuries in parts of Southeast-Asia, including in the pre-angkorian kingdom of Funan that was a popular pitstop on trade routes between China and India. The “Rising Sun Coin” is also the inspiration for the museum’s logo of SOSORO. Part of the museum’s namesake came from King Içanavarman, who ruled in the early 7th century over Chenla, the sovereignty that succeeded Funan. Although credited for creating the first gold coin, it was most likely that the coin was used as tokens of honor, rather than currency. The illustrations etched on the coin had Hindu religious references and the names of the King and of his capital city, Içanapura, the city of modern day Sambor Prei Kuk, which became part of UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. The museum is divided into twelve different modules in which visitors can discover the country’s economic and monetary development focusing on the strong interaction between money, credit, growth, and inflation, over the 2,000 years of Cambodia’s monetary history. What makes the museum unique is the role it plays for Cambodia’s future, Kilian noted. “The Museum was established by the National Bank of Cambodia and is directly attached to the Cabinet of the National Bank. There is a vision from the National Bank to promote awareness and education about the role of the economy and money ー generally to share aspects of the country’s history that are often overlooked with the general public. Many exhibited artifacts come from the archaeological excavations, while others have been acquired or donated. Most of the contents have been put together by economist and National Bank Advisor Jean-Daniel Gardère who has worked closely with historians and numerous national and international experts.” The Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closed only on Mondays and public holidays. There is a new library, a mini souvenir shop, a lovely garden, and a little cafe decorated with artwork of currency. Ticket prices are 4,000 riels for Cambodian nationals, 20,000 riels for foreigners and 2,000 riels for kids and students of any nationality. Visitors can walk in or book for groups with options for guides. Audio guides can be rented for an additional 12,000 riels. Written by Sotheavy Nou

Love is in the air!

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While we acknowledge that cooking for your loved one can be a most romantic and wholesome event, we at Thalias also realise that there is a real appeal to leaving your cares behind and spending a Valentine’s Dinner catered to and pampered this February 14. Don’t worry about the overcooked steak or the wine pairing, we have that all covered for you! Discover below the delicious menus we have crafted to help you and your significant other celebrate your adoration. Spend an elegant evening with your beloved at Topaz. Intimately lit by candlelight, let our staff cater to your needs while you focus on letting the love flow. Our lavish seven-course set is made to delight your senses with delicate flavours from the land and sea. For a heightened sensory experience, the Topaz team has also spent time selecting a range of wines that we feel perfectly match the flavours of each course. Our Valentine’s Day menu will be available on the evening of Monday 14 February. Your chance to savour this refined 7-course menu is $240 net per couple or $160 net with wine pairing per person. See our full menu here and make sure to book your table now. Please call: 015 821 888, or book via https://topaz-restaurant.com/reservation Spoil your loved one this Valentine’s day with a romantic dinner for two at Khéma. With your hearts in mind, Khéma’s chefs have created a sensuous menu of smooth, rich, sweet, and creamy flavours that will leave you swooning this Valentine’s Day. Getting off to an electrifying start with a Lobster salad, the menu then lowers the volume with a Beef broth with foie gras Royale, followed by sweet, luscious Slow-Cooked Lamb Chops and rounded off with a magnificent Chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis centre. Discover our full menu and book your table now for Monday 14 February on https://www.khema-restaurant.com/reservations This Valentine’s Day, we’ve created a vibrant, luxurious menu full of colour and zest and featuring some of Cambodia’s most delicious flavours. If beautiful food is the key to gaining and holding a lover’s heart, then it’s time to book your enchanting Valentine’s Day dinner at Malis right now. Reservations strongly recommended https://malis-restaurant.com/reservation Details and menu here.

Chocolates and Macarons

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The Confectionaries of Love As Valentine’s Day approaches, all one can think of is the chocolates and heart shaped treats for loved ones. Alongside flowers and jewellery, chocolate has become a standard gift to show love, but how did this semi-sweet treat achieve its iconic role? The history of chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Mayans and even earlier to the early Olmecs of southern Mexico. Although the original versions of brewed chocolate drinks were concoated from cocoa beans around 500 BCE — many centuries before the first Valentine’s day; this drink played an important role in Mayan rituals, such as weddings, in which the bride and groom would exchange sips of the beverage during the ceremony. The Aztecs also revered chocolate, associating cacao to their gods. Like the Mayans, they enjoyed drinking chocolate, but they also used cacao beans as currency and can be considered to be more valuable than gold. One of the most notorious Aztec names associated with chocolate was an Aztec ruler, Montezuma II. He was rumoured to have drunk gallons of chocolate each day because he believed it gave him energy and can act as an aphrodisiac. Natural chemicals like tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which can release endorphins triggering feelings of love and desire, are found in chocolate. Although scientists say there isn’t enough of either substance to make chocolate a strong aphrodisiac, the act of giving and eating chocolate can also release Endorphins and Oxytocin in your brain, a chemical which gives pleasure. The Rise of the Macaron One treat that is gunning for chocolate’s symbolic role in the language of love, is the chewy, delicate, and versatile — macarons. The popularity of macarons have increased over the years as it becomes more readily available across the world. Macarons today can be found in many flavours and fillings, appealing to a wider audience outside of Europe. Macarons are considered to be of Italian origin, dating back to the 8th Century. The delicacy was thought to be introduced to France in 1533 by Queen Catherine de’ Medici of Italy. Legend has it that her pastry chefs brought the early forms of the macaron recipe with them when she married King Henry II of France. However, it was the French who made the macaroon truly distinguished as a culinary delight. In spite of the simple ingredients in the recipe, macarons are very hard to perfect, challenging even the most reputable bakers in their skills and technique. Not to be confused with the coconut cousin with a similar namesake of ‘macaroon’, the French macaron is a sweet meringue-based treat made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food coloring. Good macarons have a light, airy bite to them that can really bring a feeling of romance to the moment. When you give you significant other macarons for Valentine’s Day, this automatically sends a message that lets them know that you care Romancing the Chef Pastry Chef, Panha Rith Hak has perfected his culinary skills in making beautiful delicacies for the French café-restaurant and gourmet delicatessen, Khema, since 2013. Clad in a pristine white chef’s uniform, Hak beamed with pride as he gazed over an array of heart shaped chocolates and macarons he was preparing for the Valentine’s Day holiday. In his 30 years of life in Phnom Penh, Hak has garnered a reputation as a reliable leader and a technical confectionary chef in Cambodia. He started his career in the food and beverage business in 2013 as a baker’s assistant at the fine dining restaurant, Topaz. Cultivating a name as a chef, he was promoted to a Chef de partie (CDP), also known as a “station chef” or “line cook”, and managed the whole bakery and pastry division at Khema Siem Reap. After 2 years in Siem Reap, he returned to Phnom Penh to further expand his role under the same position over the flagship venue at Khema Pasteur. After 8 years under Khema, Hak is now their main sous chef in desserts. Hak explained how much of the cocoa beans he uses originated from South America. “Now, for cocoa, we have around 50 countries including from southern Asia,” Hak stated. Adding that this year, the Valentine’s Day menu will include chocolate tablets alongside many other bonbon chocolates. ‘Bon’, meaning ‘good’ in the French language, is a round shaped piece of chocolate filled with fruit, ganache, caramel, nuts or nougat in the center. Each piece is decorated with stencilled art or dusted with cocoa powder for a polished look. “The white chocolate ones have 30% cocoa,” Hak explained as he gently tapped a frozen mould, revealing small white bonbons with tiny hearts. “There are around 10 types(of chocolate bonbons). We do 3 to 4 types every 2 days, about 100 to 150 pieces.” The process he uses makes the chocolate shiny and is popular with customers who want to decorate on top of other desserts. Hak expects the newest addition of chocolate tablets to become a popular item for the romantic holiday. The tablets he made are slabs of pre-cut chocolate bars mixed with nuts, in the rich colors of blue, pink, and dark brown. Macarons are also a fun symbol of love, Hak noted. “Macarons are made from egg whites and sugar or a meringue base, and mixed with almond powder,” he explained. “What makes a macaron special is the crispy surface and soft filling inside.” When ordering a macaron, Hak recommends his favorite flavor, vanilla because of the excellent quality of vanilla beans they use in their kitchens. So, keep an eye out for these delicate and rich edible treats of love. Written by Sotheavy Nou

Tables of Two

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“So short our lives, so hard the lessons, _ so difficult the tests, so sudden the final victory, _ so tenuous the hope of joy that so easily evaporates into fear _ – this is what I mean by Love……._ For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day When every bird comes there to choose his match Of every kind that men may think of And that so huge a noise they began to make That earth and air and tree and every lake Was so full, that not easily was there space For me to stand—so full was all the place.” Chaucer 1382 Of Birds Geoffrey Chaucer (1340s – 1400) was an English poet and author, he is widely considered to be the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages; His most famous work, The Canterbury Tales. Called the “father of English literature” he was the first writer to be buried in what has since come to be called Poets’ Corner, in Westminster Abbey. This section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey now contains the remains or memorials to some of the greatest writers and poets in British history including Shakespeare, Dickens, C. S. Lewis, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, Alfred Tennyson, W. H. Auden, Jane Austen, William Blake, the three Bronte sisters, Robert Burns, Benjamin Disraeli, Oscar Wilde, William Wordsworth, Keats, Byron, Eliot and many, many more. Chaucer also gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer, composing the scientific “A Treatise on the Astrolabe” for his 10-year-old son Lewis. He maintained a career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament, which is why, above many of his contemporaries, we know so much about him today. What Chaucer is far less famous for, is writing what is believed to be one of the first, and perhaps the first, reference to St. Valentine’s Day as being a special day for lovers: which he did in his 699-line poem ‘The Parliament of Fowls’, in 1382. Before this time, the day was known as ‘The Feast of Saint Valentine’ having been established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated in honour of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on the 14th of February, in AD 269. Early folk traditions connected to St. Valentine’s Day were built up around its connection to the onset of Spring. In Slovenia, Saint Valentine was one of the saints of spring, the saint of good health, and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims and it was celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commenced after winter. It has also become a folk tale that birds proposed to each other or married on the 14th of February. Chaucer’s poem is that of a dream about a parliament for birds, coming together to choose their mates. It was said to have been written to honour the first anniversary of the engagement between fifteen-year-old King Richard II of England and fifteen-year-old Anne of Bohemia, which took place after five years of negotiating the marriage contract. Whilst Chaucer writes about the natural love and love’s true nature, even writing of the female’s right to not only choose her partner but to express her desire to wait another year, in a time when courtly marriage was usually arranged. Yet there is no record of the traditions of love being associated with St. Valentine’s Day before his poem. There are, however, several poems describing birds mating on this day that soon followed. The Tower The earliest description of February 14 as an annual celebration of love appears in the Charter of the Court of Love. The charter, allegedly issued by Charles VI of France at Mantes-la-Jolie in 1400, describes lavish festivities to be attended by several members of the royal court, including a feast, amorous song, and poetry competitions, jousting, and dancing. Amid these festivities, the attending ladies would hear and rule on disputes from lovers. The history of sending Valentine’s Day letters or cards to the objects of one’s affection is vague at best, believed to have started in the UK and spread throughout Europe. The oldest known Valentine’s Day letter was written by Charles, the Duke of Orleans to his wife Bonne in 1415. The Duke was just 21 years old and the letter was written from his prison in the Tower of London, after his capture at the Battle of Agincourt who was fifteen or sixteen at the time. As was the custom at the time for most royals, marriage was a matter of state and arranged with all the maneuvers and diplomacy of an international peace treaty. This was the boy’s second marriage, having at age 12, been married off to his 17-year-old cousin Isabella of Valois, daughter of King Charles VI, herself already a widow after being first married at age six. Charles’s young marriage to Isabella ended when she died giving birth in 1409. The following year, Charles wed in yet another political alliance; to 11-year-old Bonne of Armagnac, daughter of Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac. In the letter, Charles refers to his wife as his Valentine but given the circumstances, it makes for grim reading: My very gentle Valentine, Since for me, you were born too soon, And I for you was born too late. God forgives him who has estranged Me from you for the whole year. I am already sick of love, My very gentle Valentine. Charles would end up being imprisoned for 25 years and never saw his valentine again, nor did they have any children; Bonne died sometime between 1430 and 1435, whilst he was still locked up in the tower. When Charles did eventually return to France he wed once again at the age of 46 to Mary of Cleves, aged 14. They had three children and he died in 1465. Charles wrote hundreds of poems whilst in prison; many of them about love and nobility. Understandably, the longer he was held captive, the … Read more

L’Art sur la Table : part 1

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The Ancien Regime French cuisine has been regarded for its unique qualities and flavours since the earliest days of the Ancien Regime, with the written works of celebrated chefs as far back as Guillaume ‘Taillevent’ Tirel, (Le Viandier, 13th century) through to the 17th-century works of chefs such as François Pierre de la Varenne, (Le Cuisinier François, 1651) and François Massialot, (Le Cuisinier Roïal et Bourgeois, 1691). The latter being at a time when we start to see French cuisine really emerge, abandoning middle eastern spices and Italian sauces to define itself with local ingredients, fresh herbs, and new, lighter sauces that incorporate more local, regional, and decidedly more French ingredients, techniques, and flavours. Paris was the epicenter of culture and the economy and the most highly skilled craftsmen were to be found there, including those of the culinary trades. The very finest were regulated by the guild system, which themselves were regulated by the city government as well as the French crown. A guild restricted those in any given branch of the culinary industry to operate only within that area and to ‘stay in their lane’ as it were. There were two main groups of guilds: one that supplied the raw ingredients such as butchers, fishmongers, grain merchants, and gardeners; whilst the second group supplied prepared food: bakers, pastry cooks, sauce makers, poulterers, and caterers, etc. There were, however, also guilds that offered both raw materials and prepared food. Two such guilds were the charcutiers and rôtisseurs, who would supply cooked pies and other dishes, whilst also supplying raw meat and poultry; much to the annoyance of the butchers and poulterers. The guilds served as training grounds and the accredited titles of cook, chef, and master chef were conferred. Those who reached the level of a master chef were of considerable rank and often some degree of fame and were able to enjoy a high level of income. “Those who have not lived in the eighteenth century, before the Revolution, do not know the sweetness of living” Talleyrand Service en Confusion Writer and food historian Barbara Ketcham Wheaton, in her magnificent tome, ‘Savoring the past: The French Kitchen and Table from 1300 to 1789’, (first published in 1996) notes the following: In French medieval cuisine, banquets were common among the aristocracy. Multiple courses would be prepared and then served all at once, this was known as ‘service en confusion’. The sauces were highly seasoned, with thick, heavily flavored mustards used. Pies were the crust more as a container than a part of the dish itself. Ingredients were highly seasonal and preserved items were common, especially in winter. Meats were salted or smoked, whilst spices, salt (and brine) were used to preserve greens, whilst root vegetables were preserved in honey. Pigeon and squab were delicacies and game such as venison, boar, hare, rabbit, and fowl were considered luxuries. Kitchen gardens provided herbs, many of which are rarely seen and never used today. Vinegar and Verjus were used in preparing sauces as were sugars, (for the very rich) and honey. For the most aristocratic of banquets, presentation was very important and food colours would be extracted from natural ingredients and used to create bright and unusual displays whilst gold and silver leaf would be applied with egg whites. “One of the grandest showpieces of the time was roast swan or peacock sewn back into its skin with feathers intact, the feet and beak being gilded. Since both birds are stringy, and taste unpleasant, the skin and feathers could be kept and filled with the cooked, minced and seasoned flesh of tastier birds, like goose or chicken.” The most celebrated French chef of the Middle Ages was known as Taillevent, who began his career as a ‘kitchen boy’ in 1326. He rose to the position of chef to the Dauphin, son of John II and when the Dauphin became King Charles the V of France in 1364, Taillevent was his chief chef. Taillevent worked in numerous royal kitchens during the 14th century. His first position was as a kitchen boy in 1326. He was chef to Philip VI, then the Dauphin who was the son of John II. The Dauphin became King Charles V of France in 1364, with Taillevent as his chief cook. His career spanned sixty-six years, and his tombstone represents him holding a shield with three marmites, (cooking pots) on it. When Catherine de Medici came to France in the 1540s, many culinary influences from her native Italy became incorporated into French cuisine. During her reign as Queen and then Queen Mother of France (three of her sons became King of France), the dinners she hosted were legendary and helped move French cuisine forward in history. Fine tableware and glassware became important features of dining as did the use of color. The Age of Catherine de Medici, saw the incorporation of new produce into French culinaria, both from the Mediterranean and for the first time the New World. Louis XIV French food came into its own as a definable and desirable cuisine in the 17th century, in great part because of Louis XIV’s majestic charisma and the glamour and opulence of Versailles. Now the French were eating with forks as utensils and during this “siècle des Lumières” (the Enlightenment) cuisine became a subject of intellectual debate and informed writing within France: ‘food was now being described as an art form and discussed in terms of harmony, chemistry, and spirituality’. La Varenne François Pierre de la Varenne was a Burgundian and the foremost member of a group of French chefs who codified French cuisine in the age of King Louis XIV. The others were Nicolas Bonnefon, Le Jardinier François, and François Massialot. The seventeenth century saw a culinary transformation take place in France which carried its gastronomy into the modern era. The heavy use of imported and expensive spices was replaced in favour of natural flavours and locally foraged or farmed ingredients. Middle Eastern spices such as saffron, cinnamon, … Read more

Le Réveillon de Noël

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In France, the main Christmas meal is a gracious and arranged affair held on Christmas Eve. The meal is a splendid feast of the finest foods accompanied by great wines and will stretch on until after midnight. According to the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs: Many of today’s Christmas traditions originated in the Middle East and were introduced to France by the Romans. Reims was the site of the first French Christmas celebration when (in 508) Clovis and his 3,000 warriors were baptized on Christmas Day. Charlemagne received the crown from the hands of Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in 800. In 1100, Godefroy de Bouillon’s successor, his brother Baudouin, was crowned in the basilica of Saint Mary of Bethlehem. Later, King Jean-le-Bon founded the Order of the Star in honor of the manger; it remained in existence until 1352. In 1389, French crowds shouted Noël! Noël! in welcoming Queen Isabeau of Bavaria to the capital. Thus Christmas gradually became both a religious and secular celebration. Christmas in France is a family holiday, a religious celebration, and an occasion for merry-making. The first tree in France was said to have been presented as ‘the holy tree of Christmas’ in the city of Strasbourg in 1605. It was decorated with artificial colored roses, apples, sugar, and painted hosts, and symbolized the apple tree in the garden of Eden. Another custom is that of the nativity scene and the manger, (la crèche) which are believed to have originated in the 12th century, in the form of liturgical drama. The popular manger was introduced in Avignon by Saint Francis of Assisi between 1316 and 1334, and after the revolution, it was popular to display a crèche or ‘nativity’ in homes for Christmas. Christmas fairs are a popular and colorful tradition in France and the most famous Christmas market in Europe is held annually in Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, and dates back to 1570. For five weeks this historic city on the border of France and Germany becomes the “Christmas capital of Europe” and turns into one giant magical decoration. The history of the Fair actually began in the 14th century when it was called St. Nicholas Fair. In 1570, under pressure from the Reformation, the name of the Catholic saint was replaced with the name of the Christ child. Since then, the Fair has been called Christkindelsmärik. The twelve squares of Strasbourg host hundreds of festively decorated wooden chalets. Souvenirs and local delicacies, Christmas decorations, handicrafts, and other festive utensils are all sold here and it is a wonderful opportunity to taste traditional Alsatian cuisine, much of it cooked right there in the streets. Twelve Christmas markets are open all across the city: Christkindelsmärik itself on Broglie Square and other Christmas markets on the Cathedral, Castle, and Crow squares. The Gutenberg Square hosts a Swiss village; the Station Square is an arts and crafts market. All the streets hold small themed artisanal fairs. The Kleber square is very festive thanks to its elegantly decorated fir tree brought straight from the mountains. Every year a particular country is invited to be an honorary guest at the Strasbourg Fair. Craftsmen, chefs, and winemakers thus introduce the visitors to the customs of their country. A special cultural program includes film projections, dancing, and folk music performances. Before the 18th century, le réveillon de Noël was divided into two meals: people ate a light supper before midnight Christmas Mass, and then indulged in a “fat” supper at 3 am that would last for hours. Réveillon, as the name suggests is a decadent affair, and the finest dishes and wines will be served: after an aperitivo of Champagne friends and family will enjoy oysters, smoked salmon, lobster, foie gras, and possibly caviar all accompanied by an appropriate white wine, perhaps a Chablis Grand Cru. For soup, there’s velouté de châtaignes, a creamy chestnut soup made with winter vegetables, whose name means “velvet.” This will be followed by the traditional Christmas Turkey, with chestnuts and a superb stuffing and a cured, Christmas ham may also be served. Of course, there will be a glorious selection of cheese and the option of salads. It’s not a true Réveillon without a visually stunning and delicious Yule log and Marrons glacés, (candied chestnuts), macarons, Pain d’épices, or gingerbread may also find its way onto the table.

Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre – New Year Eve

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“Pleasure without champagne is purely artificial.” Oscar Wilde On New Year’s Eve, Saint-Sylvestre, réveillon, is the French New Year’s eve party, usually held with family and friends it can be anything from a soiree at home or a gala ball full of costumes, glamour and dancing. This is France we are talking about and so, of course there is a magnificent meal of many courses, much wine and much revelry that must continue until well past midnight and well into the New Year’s Day. Champagne flows throughout the evening; there may be other fine wines with the food and brandy as the digestive, but the feast will begin with Champagne on arrival and Champagne to ring in the New Year at midnight. At 8 pm, the president of the French republic addresses the people of France on television, with the presidential greeting “Les voeux présidentiels”. This speech is broadcast from the Élysée Palace-the official residence of the French President and the French equivalent of the White House. During this presidential greeting, the president takes stock of the past year and expresses his political vision and his wishes for the future of France. In French culture people will not start whishing everyone a happy New Year, “Bonne Année” until after midnight, never before. However, they may then go on to wish everyone a happy New Year and “best wishes”, (meilleurs Voeux) for the rest of the week! The exception is the president, who wishes his people a happy New Year during the presidential speech well before midnight. Celtic druids believed in mistletoe’s mystical power to bring good luck and ward off evil, in France on New Year’s eve the tradition is to kiss under the mistletoe, “S’embrasser Sous le Gui” which is believed to bring good luck to both participants. At Midnight amidst all the cries of Bonne Année and the general cacophony people will begin kissing everyone around them. A ‘faire la bise’ is to give a kiss on the cheek and it is sometimes one or two on each cheek depending on what part of France you come from. The ancient Babylonians are believed to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions some 4,000 years ago. In France it is customary to make resolutions about health, career, romance, travel and all manner of ambitions for the twelve months ahead. New Year’s gifts called “Les étrennes” are given out during the first week of the New Year as a way to show gratitude to those people who serve us, are staff or simply take care of us throughout the year, sometimes this is in the form of cash and not dissimilar to the little ‘red pockets’ stuffed with money for Chinese New Year. Another lovely French tradition at this time of year, (although mostly in the north) is the giving of ‘gaufre seche de nouvel ans’, cute little dried waffles offered to children in the neighbourhood or friends who drop by to wish you a happy New Year. The highlight, is of course the magnificent dinner one can look forward to on New Year’s Eve; a traditional French New Year’s le réveillon, (wakening) menu will involve an exceptional presentation of the classic French dishes: charcuterie, terrines, foie gras, Truffles, escargot, oysters, scallops, smoked salmon, shrimps, sea urchin, game, cheeses and dessert. This will be accompanied by a selection of appropriately matched fine wines throughout the feast. The meal and the revelry will stretch on past midnight but, the celebration of the New Year will continue on for several days, until the 6th of January. The Epiphany marks the end of the celebrations and the feasts of réveillon; how else should we expect the French to acknowledge the occasion but with the baking of a cake!? The traditional ‘King’s Cake’, the famous ‘Galette des Rois’.

Pig Penh

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Mahendraparvata Jayavarman II, -after an elaborate spiritual ceremony that included rituals performed by Brahman Hiranyadama- rose above the crowd that had gathered atop Mount Kulen, (Phnom Kulen) having just been crowned a deva raja, (god-king) a Chakravarti, (lord of the universe), it is the year 802 AD. Jayavarman II had returned to this land -then known as Chenla- from exile in Java; at the time of his return, Chenla was under the control of the Shailendra, a dynasty of Javanese kings. He swiftly built a strong power base by conquering and uniting a patchwork of small fiefdoms in the area, quickly rising to rule them all. An inscription from the temple at Sdok Kok Thom recounts the story of the ritual that occurred on that day in 802, atop the sacred mountain, when it was known as Mahendraparvata, (Mountain of the Great Indra). Jayavarman II declared independence from ‘Java’, and a new nation was born, the Khmer Empire. The Khmer Empire, (802 CE to 1431) would go on to become the largest in South East Asia, incorporating the lands of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and parts of Southwestern China. The capital would move to Angkor; where the ruler Suryavarman II constructed the stunning temple, Angkor Wat, a microcosm of the Hindu universe and the largest religious complex on the planet. Sacred Mountain, Lost City Jayavarman II would rule for almost 50 years after his coronation and Mahendraparvata was one of three capital cities during his reign; the others being Amarendrapura and finally, Hariharalaya where he died in 850. Mahendraparvata is located 40 kilometers north of the Angkor Wat complex, 45 kilometers north of Siem Reap on the slopes of what is now called Phnom, (Mount) Kulen; the once great city predates the Angkor complex by 350 years. Whereas Angkor was not entirely abandoned by local people, but lost and found again by the Western world, Mahendraparvata was thought lost forever. Angkor was largely neglected after the 16th century when the capital moved closer toward Phnom Penh: yet fourteen inscriptions found in the area and dated from the 17th century, testify to Japanese Buddhist pilgrims having established small settlements alongside Khmer locals at Angkor. The best-known inscription tells of Ukondayu Kazufusa, who celebrated the Khmer New Year at Angkor Wat in 1632. One of the first Western visitors to the Angkor Wat temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese friar who visited in 1586, declaring it had “all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of”. In 1860, the temple was effectively rediscovered by the French naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot, who popularized the site throughout the western world with the publication of his expedition notes; in which he wrote: “One of these temples, a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo, might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome…” Mahendraparvata on the other hand was extremely remote, swallowed up by the mountain and reclaimed by the jungle. The 1936 expedition of French archaeologist and art historian Philippe Stern, explored the Kulen highlands, where he discovered many previously unknown temples and Vishnu statues. He described it as the first true temple mountain, but the area and whilst being the source of rivers flowing south to the Tonle Sapit was very remote and hard to access. Wars and their remnants, (mines and unexploded ordinance) would halt further exploration for many decades and the area was known to be one of the final strongholds of the Khmer Rouge. In 1973 and 1979 Jean Boulbet and Bruno Dagens manages to publish an archeological inventory and mapping of Phnom Kulen. Discovery Following up on the previous work of Stern, Boulbet, and Dagens, a multi-year and often dangerous archaeological expedition co-led by Damian Evans of the University of Sydney and Jean-Baptiste Chevance of London’s Archaeology and Development Foundation was undertaken. Finally, in 2013 some 1,200 after the city was first developed, they announced their findings, the lost city of Mahendraparvata had finally been re-discovered. A key feature of the expedition was the aid of airborne laser scanning technology called LIDAR, which was used to scan the Phnom Kulen area, and enabled them to map the city layout. The Lidar results confirmed ground-based research conducted by previous archaeologists but, according to JB Chevance, before this, we “didn’t know exactly how it all came together”. Thirty previously unidentified temples were discovered, as well as the existence of an elaborate grid-like network of roads, dykes, and ponds forming a major city. Dr. Evans also noted that the imagery showed that the area had become deforested, and he theorized that the impact of this, and water management issues, led to the civilization’s decline and eventual abandonment of the city. The River of a Thousand Lingas Kbal Spean is an archaeological site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills, it is situated along a 150m stretch of the Stung Kbal Spean River. The stone river bed and banks are elaborately carved with Hindu symbols of lingas, yonis as well as many other symbols of the pantheon of Hindu gods as well as animals. The carvings began in the 11th century and were completed sometime in the 12th century. King Udayadityavarman II is said to have consecrated a golden ling here in the year 1059AD. The Stung Kbal Spean River is a tributary of the Siem Reap river and it is believed the waters are blessed here before they flow down into Angkor. The archaeological site was discovered in 1969 by Jean Boulbet, an ethnologist, but further exploration was cut off due to the Cambodian Civil War. Mountain of Lychees Today, the small mountain range is called Phnom Kulen, (Mountain of Lychees) and it sits inside the Phnom Kulen National Park, the plateau stretches for 40 kilometers and the average height is 400 meters above sea-level, with the highest point being 487 meters. Lying south of the Dângrêk Mountains and … Read more