Book Review: Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon

(Disclaimer: I am speaking on my experience and cannot speak for all Cambodians or the country.)

This book is a memoir about Chantha Nguon who takes her reader through her childhood, her experience during the Khmer Rouge genocide, her time as a refugee in Thailand, and her calling for a purpose in life—all while recounting recipes associated with those experiences and emotions. Chantha and her husband, Dara Chan Kim created the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center to educate and help women lift themselves out of poverty. If you feel compelled, please check out their website and consider supporting their work.

For those unfamiliar, the Khmer Rouge regime ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 during a period of political unrest. This took place during the Vietnam War (or the American War, depending on who you ask), a time of intense geopolitical tension in the region. The Khmer Rouge envisioned an agrarian utopia where the country would rebuild itself from "year zero." Money and culture were abolished, and everyone was to become a farmer and live as equals. In pursuit of this goal, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated 1.2 to 2.8 million people—between 13 and 30 percent of the population.

The regime systematically killed people based on their identity and worked others to death under brutal conditions. Ethnic minorities (particularly the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cham) were targeted alongside educated individuals. Others were accused of being enemies of the regime, often labeled as CIA agents, were sent to prison camps for “re-education” —some of which were converted from high school buildings. Few made it out of the prison camps alive. Death found people in many form: starvation, disease, exhaustion from forced labor, execution, or during desperate attempts to escape. This is an oversimplified history. If you would like to learn more and prefer watching a video/documentary I would suggest the following:

1. "First They Killed My Father" movie directed by Angelina Jolie. It is based on a memoir, portraying the experience of the tragedy from a five-year-old girl's perspective.
2. "Don't Think I've Forgotten" documentary directed by John Pirozzi. This explores Khmer Rouge through the lens of music. You can the documentary on Internet Archive (part one and part two).
3. "The magic of Khmer classical dance" Ted Talk by Prumsodun Ok.This talk discusses Cambodian culture and how the genocide almost swept it all away.

This book gave me the perspective of a Cambodian Vietnamese (an ethnic minority) during the atrocious period of Cambodia's history. In fear of being targeted, Chantha's family returned to their homeland in Vietnam. Chantha was a child then: How could a child call a place she never grew up in home?

Unfortunately, many people in Cambodia hold negative view of Vietnam and Vietnamese. In my experience, many Cambodians believe that Vietnam and ethnic Vietnamese are trying to claim Cambodia’s land. Those who hold this sentiment would often tell the story of Koh Tral. Koh Tral was an island of Cambodia until 1939 when the Governor General of Indochina, Jules Brévié, redraw the boundaries between Cambodia and Vietnam. Koh Tral became a part of Vietnam and has been renamed Phú Quốc. Many Cambodian nationalists still dream of reclaiming the island.

Beyond territorial grievances, anti-Vietnamese rhetoric manifest in disturbing ways. I’ve heard public service announcements claiming that Vietnam is trying to poison Cambodia through its exported products. A vendor at my local bazzar once warned me, "Don't buy Vietnamese shoes, they’re laced with poison that could kill the wearer over time."

The anti-Vietnamese sentiment runs so deep that it has also become a political device. For years, a political party has campaigned on promises to expel all the "yuon" (the term they used) from Cambodia. This party has garnered considerable support from voters and was close to winning the election several times. Note that the word "yuon" refers to people from Vietnam, and while some may argue it's not a bad term, it is often used in derogatory contexts.

I am embarrassed to admit that I also hear this sentiment from my family. A family member was nicknamed "yuon" because they did not like sharing when they were younger. Needless to say, sharing is a social skill a child learns over time, and they grew up to be kind and compassionate—the nickname stuck with them until high school.

The book brings me back to my roots, helping me connect with my elders by showing me what it was like to be in their shoes. My family doesn't speak much about the Khmer Rogue. The only person who talks about it is my grandma. And when she does, she usually talks about stealing food, painting it as an act of mischief. Or she would tell me about the songs she learned as a propaganda singer.

My grandparents and parents have lived through the Khmer Rogue. I could only imagine how scared, angry, hungry, exhausted, hurt, and hopeless they must have felt. And the bitter-sweetness of stealing and sharing food because the ration wasn't enough to stop their stomach from rumbling at night. It's easy to see why my grandpa would yell at me if I didn't finish all the food on my plate as a kid. And even though my family isn't the most affectionate, they are showing love in the best way they know how to. At times their idea of love frustrates me but I understand, to some extent, where it is coming from.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a warning: this heavy book will pull your heartstrings in all directions.

If you're Cambodian, I think this book offers a perspective of the genocide that could help you connect with and understand your family better. I would even encourage you to ask your elders about their childhood to learn more about them if you feel comfortable doing so.

Have you ever just thought that your parents and grandparents know (mostly) about your entire life, but you can't say the same about them? Not too long ago, I learned that in her teenage years, my mom was picked on for inheriting monolid eyes from her half-Chinese father. That was the day I realized she has monolids—it’s amazing I had never noticed that. These are the stories we miss when we don't ask. Go connect with your family and learn more about them.

For non-Cambodians, I think this provides a perspective of the Khmer Rogue period and knowledge of Cambodian cuisine, there are recipes in the book. This is not the most fun book, but it holds important history.