Gourmet Peanut Producer Brings Local Foods Into the Spotlight

Working out of the back of her home in Russei Keo district, Sothearith Neou and a half dozen of her friends and family roast, caramelize and add herbs to gourmet peanuts from 7 a.m. until late at night—trying to fill a seemingly endless number of orders. Ms. Neou uses an old family recipe that includes mixing locally grown peanuts from Kompong Cham province with a blend of fresh lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chilies and bergamot leaves. It is a recipe that in just three years put her at the head of a growing local gourmet nut business serving more than 200 clients. … Ms. Neou is one of just over 493,000 businesses in Cambodia classified as “micro-businesses,” or businesses with fewer than 10 employees, according to a government economic census released in March. She is also one of 326,000 women controlling 65 percent of all businesses in the country. …