Q&A: "Queen of Greens" Sina War
We brought four women from four cultural groups together to celebrate Collard Greens and cultural diversity. Sina War was one of those queens.
What is your cultural background or country of origin?
Cambodia
How did you come to live in the US?
We are a refugee family— my family is from about an hour south of the Thailand border, and so when Civil War was happening, my grandfather made an early decision for our family to flee north to Thailand, which ended us in a refugee camp. And then a family in California sponsored our Cambodian family to stay together. And then we were brought to the United States. Our first home was in government housing provided by the US in Stockton, California.
What dish did you present at the Queens of Greens event?
Lemongrass tamarind greens soup served with kreung braised beef, Jasmine Rice and Thai Chili Pepper
Why did you choose to present this particular dish and what does it represent to your family legacy or cultural background?
Cambodians don’t typically cook with collard greens, but many dishes do feature various Southeast Asian greens. As I developed this dish, I reflected on the first time I ever tried collard greens. Black culture has been a significant part of my life since childhood; my mom was a nurse growing up and her closest friends were strong Black women working in the healthcare industry. At every gathering, there was Soul Food alongside the Cambodian dishes that our family brought to share.
This memory inspired me to blend the flavors of both cultures. I knew I had to incorporate krueng—an essential Cambodian ingredient. Krueng is a fragrant paste made with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, chilies, and shallots, used in marinades, soup bases, stir-fries, and more. One of my favorite Cambodian soups is a sour soup made with morning glory greens, flavored with krueng, tamarind soup mix, and stewed beef.
Building on this inspiration, I created a unique fusion dish: Southern-style greens slow-cooked with Cambodian flavors, honoring the essence of both traditions.
How does your culture use bitter greens in its cooking and why is that important?
Fresh vegetables and bitter food have always been a part of our diet. In our culture, it's all about balance. We were told that bitter foods bring out other flavors in other foods, and you learn to like it as your test buds develop.
You’ve said that you pride yourself on your rice cooking skillz— how did you learn?
If you made it wrong, every family member would have some sort of pressure on you to do it right all the time. I always had to make two pots. I had to make one pot that had more water in it for the elders, because they didn't have teeth, and I had to make a huge pot for the entire family. But I honestly feel like I can make rice blindfolded now, because I've done it so many times, and actually I get so many compliments from people.
What was the dinner table like while you were growing up?
The the significance was like, this was this was everybody's moment to to just be present. You know, because when you grow up in a refugee family, dinner time is the most important part. And no matter what you ate, no matter how good the main dishes were, if the rice was bad, it would ruin the entire thing. And so, like, people couldn't enjoy the soup or the fish, the baked protein, or what have you. And so just being able to serve your family and know that no matter what craziness happens during the day, that they could have a good meal. Like, the importance of that was definitely what I took away from it.
How/ where/ from whom did you learn to cook?
My parents, grandfather, aunts & uncles. Growing up, we lived in a multigenerational family and household. The kitchen always had something for me to do as a kid. Every time anyone cooked, I had a task, usually cleaning and preparing herbs or sauce, ingredients for one of the dishes, and always cooking a fresh pot of rice for the family. Everyone always contributed a dish to the table. We never just ate one thing.
What is your favorite food?
Cambodian Hot Pot. It is my all-time favorite meal. Raw meat and vegetables are prepared in a pot that is on a constant simmer in a coconut milk and Asian barbecue sauce. You eat it with rice or noodles while cooking the other ingredients as you eat with family and friends.
More about Sina and her food brand, Twin Tiger, here.
More Q&A’s with our other Queens of Greens, coming soon.