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Sichuan Red Chilli Oil Recipe (Hong You). Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved. Hóng Yóu.

Sichuan Red Chilli Oil Recipe – How to Make Two Red Chilli Oils From One Recipe

This Sichuan red chilli oil recipe makes an essential ingredient in Sichuan cooking and the specialties from China’s Sichuan province. It’s simple to make, adds a wallop of flavour to every dish you use it with, and it lasts forever. Although if you’re like us, it won’t be long before you’re making a new batch.

We love Sichuan cuisine and cook it at every opportunity. If you’re not familiar with Sichuan cuisine – also written as Szechwan and Szechuan cuisine – it’s the cuisine of China’s Sichuan province and, because it’s distinguished by its generous use of Sichuan chilli peppers and garlic, it’s one of the most popular Chinese cuisines with lovers of spicy food.

Sichuan red chilli oil is used as both an ingredient and a condiment in Sichuan cooking, doused on everything from spicy Sichuan style wontons and dan dan noodles to kung pao chicken. The problem is that there are so many different Sichuan red chilli oil recipes out there so which chilli oil should you be making?

My Paprika Recipe Manager tells me I currently have eight recipes for red chilli oil. So before you break open a packet of chillies, you need to think about what you are going to use the chilli oil for and ask yourself it if is going to be used as an ingredient in dan dan noodles or as a sauce for wontons?

While Lara is an “I want chilli sediment in every spoonful of red chilli oil, I don’t care what I’m eating” kind of eater, I want the right chilli oil for the right application. That means we’re making two types of Sichuan chilli oil but we’re using the one recipe.

Sichuan Red Chilli Oil Recipe – How to Make Two Red Chilli Oils From One Recipe

To be clear from the start, store bought Sichuan red chilli oils just don’t cut it for me, as they often contain other ingredients, such as dried shrimp, and can be too hot for some of the dishes with which we like to use them.

Hóng Yóu (红油) translates to ‘red oil’ which gives us a hint to which kind of oil is preferred in most Sichuan kitchens. In this case the red oil consists just of pounded or crushed chillies, oil, and maybe a sprinkling of sesame seeds when finishing the dish that the oil is accompanying.

The richer version of Sichuan red chilli oil which most recipes gravitate to contains at least some dried spices, such as star anise, dried bay leaves, cinnamon bark or cassia bark, cloves, black cardamom, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Another Sichuan red chilli oil recipe includes ‘wet’ ingredients, such as garlic, ginger and shallots. My personal preference is to leave these wet ingredients out as I want the oil to be chilli forward, with the dried spices acting to enhance the flavour, not dominate it, as garlic and ginger can do.

What Chillies to Use in a Sichuan Red Chilli Oil

One of the most-asked questions of home cooks intending to make a Sichuan red chilli oil is what chillies to use in their red chilli oil? This is where things get complicated.

Optimally we want specific varieties of sun-dried Sichuan chillies. Chances of obtaining them are probably slim unless you have an outstanding Chinatown or an Asian supermarket where you live.

The first variety of sun-dried Sichuan chilli is erjingtiao (or Èr jīngtiáo 二荆条) which is a long, slim and curved chilli. It has a strong aroma but is not too hot. It is the main chilli used in red chilli oil as well as in dishes such as Kong Pao Chicken.

The second variety is sun-dried Sichuan chilli is chaotianjiao (or Cháotiān jiāo 朝天椒), known as Heaven Facing Chilli Peppers. These upward-facing chillies are more bulbous and hotter than erjingtiao chillies.

It’s important that you remove the seeds from these chillies (all chillies, really) before grinding them as they are searingly hot and will affect the flavour of your Sichuan red chilli oil – and not in a good way.

How to Prepare and Store the Red Chilli Oil

If you find some sun-dried Sichuan chillies and they are whole, I like to chop each chilli up into three pieces and use a colander with large holes over a bowl to shake the seeds out.

If you can’t find either of these chilli varieties, just use ground Korean chillies. This will make a good red chilli oil but it won’t have that texture you need for a red chilli oil where you want to use the sediment. Try blending these Korean chillies with red chilli flakes but with most of the seeds removed.

A quick note on storage. As our kitchen tends to hover around 30°C, I prefer storing my Sichuan red chilli oil in the fridge. I’ve bought glass jars specifically for the bottom draw of the fridge that can hold around 500ml jars and I usually make my chilli oil with a cup and a half of oil so it nearly reaches the tops of the jars.

As we live in a warm tropical climate I find that if the red chilli oil is left out for a while it starts to smell stale and loses its potency. If you live in a cool climate, by all means keep the chilli oil in the pantry.

More Notes on Making This Red Chilli Oil Recipe

The Sichuan red chilli oil recipe below essentially makes two types of red chilli oil. I’ll describe them as ‘red chilli oil’ for the pure Sichuan red chilli oil without any chilli sediment (which is the red chilli oil on the right in the image above) and ‘aromatic chilli oil’, which includes the spices and chilli flakes (which is the chilli oil on the left in the image above).

Note that black cardamom is much bigger and harder to find than green cardamom, but it adds a unique flavour and is worthwhile taking the time to seek it out. If you do find black cardamom, you need to break open the outer shell to reveal the small pods, but you can use the shells in the aromatic red chilli oil mix.

While any neutral oil such as peanut oil (preferred), rice bran oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil can be used to make this Sichuan red chilli oil recipe, note that in Sichuan they use Caiziyou oil (菜籽油), which is a distinct type of toasted rapeseed oil and is darker in colour than most neutral oils. You might be able to find this in a good Chinatown or a specialised Asian supermarket.

Sichuan Red Chilli Oil Recipe – How to Make Two Red Chilli Oils From One Recipe

Sichuan Red Chilli Oil Recipe (Hong You). Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved. Hóng Yóu.

Sichuan red chilli oil recipe

Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Sichuan red chilli oil is an essential ingredient in Sichuanese cooking. It’s simple to make, adds a wallop of flavour to every dish you use it with and lasts forever – but it won’t be that much time before you’re making a new batch.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 1 Jar
Calories: 751kcal
Author: Terence Carter

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chilli powder/flakes mix
  • 3 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 ½ cups neutral oil peanut, rice bran, vegetable or canola
Dried Spices for aromatic chilli oil
  • 4 pieces star anise whole
  • 2 pieces bay leaves dried
  • 1 piece cinnamon stick or a piece of cassia bark
  • 4 pieces cloves
  • 1 piece black cardamom broken open with seeds

Instructions

  • If you have whole chillies, toast these in a dry wok for a minute. Once they have cooled off, cut them up and deseed the chillies. If you are making straight red chilli oil add the Sichuan peppercorns and toast with the chillies.
  • Once deseeded, place the chillies in a blender and blend to a powder if you want pure ‘red chilli oil’ or simply blend down and leave lots of flakes if you want ‘aromatic chilli oil’.
  • If you are making ‘aromatic chilli oil’ toast your dried spices and Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok until the spices become aromatic.
  • Place the oil in a saucepan over low heat and add the dried spices and Sichuan peppercorns and take the oil up to around 130˚C for a few minutes until infused. Strain out the spices. Increase the heat of the oil to 180˚C.
  • Place the chillies in a wok, pushing them up the sides of the wok leaving a little bare patch in the centre of the wok. We’re going to pour the oil here.
  • With the oil at 180˚C, pour half the oil into the centre of the wok and stir in the chillies quickly using cooking chopsticks or a long silicone spatula. It will splutter and bubble, but you want this for the first pour. Take the remaining oil off the heat.
  • Once the oil has been evenly distributed, wait until the oil temperature has reduced to 135˚C and pour in half of the remaining oil and stir.
  • When the oil is down to 85˚C, pour in and mix the remaining oil.
  • Take the chilli oil mixture off the heat and let it get down to room temperature.
  • Place the chilli oil mixture in a clean glass jar and refrigerate overnight.
  • If you’re making the ‘aromatic chilli oil’, it is now ready to use.
  • If you’re making the ‘red chilli oil’, strain the oil to remove the chilli and place back into a clean jar. The oil is now ready to use.

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1959mg | Potassium: 2804mg | Fiber: 54g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 35362IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 626mg | Iron: 27mg

Do let us know if you make our Sichuan red chilli oil recipe as we’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments below.

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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.

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Comments

  1. Jane says

    February 25, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    That’s interesting. I’ve only seen the pure ‘red’ one in Asian supermarkets usually from Thailand. They’ve always tasted hot but kind of ‘muted’. The one with the flakes looks like the standard ones you get on street food tables across South-East Asia – but with more oil. I’m going to try and track down those chillies and make some for myself!
    Thanks!5 stars

  2. Terence Carter says

    February 25, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    Hi Jane, I also find the red supermarket ones (mainly from Thailand) hot but dull flavoured – perhaps it gets too hot during transportation. Th chilli ‘sauce’ with the flakes in the caddies in South-East Asia are similar, but usually have garlic and ginger as part of the initial mix. I don’t mind ginger in the chilli oil (in fact a lot of chilli oil recipes have it), but I find garlic ‘muddies’ the flavour, having made oil with it a few times. Good luck finding the chillies – and remember to not substitute those Thai birds-eye chillies, they are too potent for this!
    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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