Rice it is

What do you do when you are doing research in a remote part of a foreign country where nobody speaks English, and you are still trying to increase your vocabulary to about ten words? Hire a translator, of course. The translator quickly becomes the most important person on the research project, but unfortunately, they can’t be everywhere at once so you must learn to improvise. In this case, we were always prepared with our own menu so we were guaranteed (almost) at least a basic meal.
Rice and fish are staples for tens of millions of people throughout the Mekong River Basin. Wild fish are harvested daily and are the primary source of protein for people living along the river. The Mekong Delta region is referred to as the “rice-basket” of Asia and steamed rice accompanies every meal.
Photo source: FISHBIO

• Mekong Delta