Why is food in Cambodia so important to their culture?

In Cambodia, there is what we call Khmer culture, which generally reflects most of Cambodia's belief and tradition. Food is crucial item in the Khmer culture. There is rarely any social event in Cambodia where food is not involved. For example women who are pregnant must know which food they should and shouldn't eat. Moreover, food will tell you of a person's social class and economic status. If you are a guest or an adult male, you usually eat before other people present. This is true for monks, too. After eating, the remains of their food are given to laypeople.