Worldwide, rice is the most important crop for human consumption. It seems as though calling rice ("bai" in Khmer) the staple food here in Cambodia is an understatement. As in many countries where it has been cultivated for centuries, rice has invaded the culture and the language here. The word for kitchen literally translates to "rice house;" breakfast, lunch and dinner are morning, noon and night rice. More than half of Cambodians are farmers; almost all of them grow primarily rice. Rice is grown by flooding the plot during planting, and below are some photos of harvesting. It's a muddy job, requiring strong arms for pulling the plant and a knife to chop off the stalks, which I believe are used to feed livestock during the hot season. As the workers pulled up the rice plants, flying insects crowded the air in search of new swampy homes.
The point of the last picture is just that woman's smile, and the mesh tank top her baby is wearing - not just for 80s pop singers anymore! She's definitely a rice farmer though, so it's kind of related.
Such an insightful post! And your pictures blow me away (literally, I had to type this from the other end of the room).
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