In Battambang, another popular way for families to make a living is to produce the favoured local Cambodian snack: dried banana sheets.

Banana sheets, Battambang, Cambodia

A few girls are lined up equipped with razor sharp knives. They dig into a bowl of tiny sweet bananas which are the secret of this heavenly bite. Extremely thin slices are cut in the banana length and put on 1-metre long bamboo frames with the slices slightly overlapping each other. Once the bamboo frame is full it is put to dry in the sun, often for one full day in order to achieve the required toffee-like consistency and sugary flavour. Once dried they are peeled off from the frame, folded, and put into bags, ready to be sold and eaten.

Banana sheets, Battambang, Cambodia

Banana sheets ready for consumption, Battambang, Cambodia

A very healthy snack, these dried banana sheets are very easy to make and very eco-friendly!

Marcella

Travel tips:

• To make the most of your visit, we strongly recommend you to take a local guide (see below) as most craft-people do not speak English and are actually working hard to make a living, so they should not be disturbed. The local guide knows the usage and will tip appropriately.
  
• To live this experience and follow us on the trail of traditional crafts in Battambang, we highly recommend a tour with the knowledgeable Mr. Ola, who proudly takes you around in his tuk-tuk for a full day of discovering the real Cambodia behind the scenes! Message him on Facebook or e-mail him.
• Check out this interactive map for the specific details to help you plan your trip and more articles and photos (zoom out) about the area!
  

Don’t know where to start? Get inspired: