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Asian Leafy Green Vegetables with Oyster Sauce Recipe. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Asian Leafy Green Vegetables with Oyster Sauce Recipe for Cha Spei Preng Kachong

This Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe makes Cambodia’s cha spei preng kachong. Any leafy Asian greens or Chinese green vegetables can be used – choy sum, bok choy, baby bok choy, gai lan etc. There are variations of this vegetable dish within China and right across Southeast Asia, but this is the Cambodian take on this classic side.

This Cambodian take on stir-fried Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe makes cha spei preng kachong in Khmer. ‘Cha’ or ‘char’ means to stir-fry or wok-fry, ‘spei’ refers to all Chinese or Asian leafy green vegetables, and ‘preng kachong’ refers to oyster sauce although not specifically oysters as such, but molluscs with shells, such as clams and snails.

I had originally wanted to share a recipe for stir-fried gai lan (or kai lan) with oyster sauce, which Cambodians call cha preng kachong khatna – khatna is the Khmer word for gai lan – but while Angkor Market, the Siem Reap supermarket we use is excellent when it comes to the quality and variety of produce, with plenty of organic fruit, vegetables and herbs, they’re not so great with labelling.

When the packaging is fogged up in the cold vegetable fridges and we’re in a hurry as we’ve left the shopping until an hour before closing to maintain some sort of social distancing, we trust the label on the shelf – which is how Lara came home one night with what she thought was gai lan (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) or Chinese broccoli but turned out to be choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) or Chinese flowering cabbage.

Which is how this became a stir-fried Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe instead of a stir-fried gai lan with oyster sauce recipe, and a great excuse to write about the common Chinese green leafy vegetables, such as gai lan, choy sum, bok choy, baby bok choy, etc, that are eaten across Southeast Asia, including here in Cambodia.

Asian Leafy Green Vegetables with Oyster Sauce Recipe for Cha Spei Preng Kachong

Like the stir-fried morning glory recipe we recently published, this Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe isn’t hard to make at all once you know how. It’s so easy that if you’re making these stir-fried leafy Chinese greens for the first time you’ll probably never need to look at a recipe after you do.

So why are we even publishing an Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe if stir-fried greens are so easy to make, particularly when there are so many recipes online? Well, if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that while we’ve been staying at home quarantine cooking and engaging in cooking projects this year, we’ve also been doing a lot of recipe-testing.

For those of you visiting for the first time, we’re testing Cambodian recipes for a Cambodian street food cookbook (our own recipes) as well as for our epic Cambodian cookbook and culinary history, which documents the stories and recipes of cooks all over Cambodia (which we’re always looking for patrons for and you can pledge support for this first-of-its-kind project for as little as US$2 or $5 a month on Patreon).

We would be remiss in excluding a stir-fried Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe from a Cambodian cookbook just because they’re easy to make and there are so many recipes out there, because leafy Asian greens – as Chinese leafy green vegetables have come to be known as they’re cooked right across Southeast Asia – are essential to Cambodian cooking.

A stir-fry of green vegetables is not only healthy and nutritious but it provides balance to a Southeast Asian family meal, which, in a well-off urban home, would typically consist of an array of dishes meant to be shared, including the all-important bowl of rice, a pot of soup, perhaps a salad, maybe something barbecued or grilled, or some kind of stew or curry.

In a more modest home in a village in the countryside, the main meal might consist of only rice, a big pot of soup and a plate of stir-fried green vegetables to be shared. There will nearly always be greens, because they’re not only nutritious and provide balance, but they are also cheap.

In a home of Cambodians who are of Khmer heritage, this would typically be stir-fried morning glory, either grown or plucked from the nearest pond or river. But in a home of Cambodians with Chinese heritage in their family, a spread of dishes would typically include Cambodian-Chinese favourites alongside Khmer specialties, and there would nearly always be a green vegetable dish, such as stir-fried gai lan or bok choy or choy sum.

So what makes this stir-fried Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe Cambodian or more specifically Chinese-Cambodian? Well, most Chinese recipes for green leafy vegetables with oyster sauce are drizzled with a dressing of oyster sauce, garlic, soy sauce, and maybe sugar and white pepper.

A fancier Chinese restaurant-style oyster sauce recipe might include sesame oil, although this is often drizzled on the vegetables before the oyster sauce, and the Chinese cooking wine called Shaoxing wine. None of that is used in Cambodian-Chinese stir-fried Asian greens with oyster sauce.

The additional ingredient in Cambodian stir-fried leafy green vegetables is fish sauce, of course, an essential Southeast Asian ingredient, which you’ll also find in Thai-style stir-fried greens with oyster sauce, and Vietnamese stir-fried vegetables.

Tips for Cooking Leafy Asian Green Vegetables

Just a few important tips for this Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe that can apply to any similar Chinese greens with crunchy stalks and large leaves. Use the freshest leafy greens you can get your hands on and use good quality Asian condiments.

For fish sauce, we typically use local fish sauces, such as a Cambodian fish sauce with Cambodian dishes, Thai fish sauce with Thai dishes, Vietnamese fish sauce with Vietnamese dishes, and so on.

But you probably won’t find our Battambang and Kampot fish sauces in the Asian section of your local supermarket in Australia, the USA, UK or Europe, so we recommend Thailand’s Megachef, which is a premium fish sauce that’s consistent in quality and widely available.

When it comes to oyster sauce, we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster sauce. We use Oh Huat Hin sesame oil, but this is a link to a popular sesame oil.

Sesame oil is a must for finishing all Chinese leafy greens as far as I’m concerned, and I also use it on my special fried rice.

Soy sauce isn’t normally included if this dish is being made by a Khmer cook but a cook of Chinese-Cambodia descent might add soy sauce. In that case, we like to use these light and dark soy sauce brands.

With all Asian stir-fries it’s important to have every ingredient ready to be tossed into the wok. With leafy Asian vegetables the blanch and refresh stage of the greens is very important.

Greens so wilted they are brownish is not acceptable. Very high heat and working fast bring the best results.

Regardless of what dishes you are presenting with this dish, it needs to be the last dish to hit the table.

Stir-Fried Asian Leafy Greens with Oyster Sauce Recipe

Asian Leafy Green Vegetables with Oyster Sauce Recipe. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Asian Leafy Green Vegetables with Oyster Sauce Recipe

Print Recipe Rate Recipe
This Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe makes Cambodia’s cha spei preng kachong. Any leafy Asian greens or Chinese green vegetables can be used – choy sum, bok choy, baby bok choy, kai lan etc. There are variations of this classic vegetable side within China and right across Southeast Asia, but this is the Cambodian-Chinese take on this popular dish that might serve as one element of a feast or even as a main with rice.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Cambodian
Servings: 4 portions
Calories: 114kcal
Author: Terence Carter

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Asian greens choy sum, bok choy, baby bok choy, kai lan
  • ⅓ cup oyster sauce
  • 3 tbsp garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 60 ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • pepper to taste
  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp dried cabbage powder optional
Garnish
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic fried
  • 1 fresh long chilli julienned

Instructions

  • Blanch the Asian greens in seasoned boiling water for 30 seconds and add to a bowl with ice water. Remove after 2 minutes and dry off.
  • In a wok over high heat, sauté the garlic in the oil, quickly add the blanched greens and stock and stir-fry until the greens have wilted a little. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and pepper. Finish with the sesame oil.
  • Serve on a large plate with the sauce and sprinkle over the cabbage powder (if using).
  • Garnish with the fried garlic and chilli.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1069mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 11232IU | Vitamin C: 132mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 2mg

Do let us know if you make this Asian leafy green vegetables with oyster sauce recipe as we’d love to know how it turns out for you.

Support our Cambodia Cookbook & Culinary History Book with a donation or monthly pledge on Patreon.

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About Terence Carter

Terence Carter is an editorial food and travel photographer and infrequent travel writer with a love of photographing people, places and plates of food. After living in the Middle East for a dozen years, he settled in South-East Asia a dozen years ago with his wife, travel and food writer and sometime magazine editor Lara Dunston.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fiona says

    August 19, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    Hi Terence & Lara, just wanted to say how much we enjoyed this also. We’re no better than your supermarket staff, LOL, and frequently get our choy sum mixed up with our bok choy, but it was good to know that we could do any Asian green veggies this way. Paired this with a Thai red curry and it was perfect. We eat a lot of Thai food but we’re learning about Cambodian food through your site and loving what we’re trying. It’s now on our bucket list for when we can leave Oz again. Thank you!5 stars

  2. Terence Carter says

    August 19, 2020 at 4:46 pm

    It’s confusing for sure. I’ve spent so long learning this stuff and I still get confused and have to reference my cookbooks. Then I go to the market and it’s even more confusing as they often have greens that are seasonal!
    Let’s hope we can travel again soon, for sure! In the meantime we’re recipe testing everyday so plenty more recipes to come.
    Cheers,
    T

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About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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