Ohio sauce and spice vendor shares story of survival

CLEVELAND — Narrin Noud-Carlberg is a seasoned vendor of sauces and spices. 

“That is my title in Cambodian,” Noud-Carlberg mentioned. “That is my title in English,” 

She runs Narrin’s Spices and Sauces at West Facet Market.

“That is my residence,” Noud-Carlberg mentioned.

Based on her web site, she claims to have the biggest sizzling sauce assortment in Cleveland. 

“Effectively, sure, in response to many, lots of my prospects that go the phrase on to their family and friends, they are saying I’ve the largest sauce (assortment) — sizzling sauces and spices,” Noud-Carlberg mentioned.

Noud-Carlberg mentioned she introduced her enterprise to West Facet Market as a result of it gives an identical procuring expertise to the markets again in Cambodia. She mentioned she’s going to return to go to her native nation this month. 

“I’m very excited to see my brother, too,” she mentioned. “However, on the identical time, it’s extremely unhappy, as a result of they’re nonetheless there, they’re nonetheless, you realize, struggling, and I’m right here.”

The struggling that Noud-Carlberg refers to is a part of the explanation why her fingers are formed the way in which they’re. 

“After I was dwelling beneath the dictators, beneath the communists, I am a type of victims (of) torture,” Noud-Carlberg mentioned.

Noud-Carlberg mentioned she was starved and thrown right into a bonfire.

“When the chief come, and got here, and noticed us hold ourselves heat, they mentioned, ‘Oh, (are) you chilly? Right here you go,” she mentioned. “They simply throw us, you realize, a few of them, they hit us within the head, (hoping that we might die), after which throw us within the bonfire.”

Noud-Carlberg obtained therapy for her accidents at a refugee camp.

 “Once we’re in (a) refugee camp, U.S. is heaven; we do not, we by no means use the phrase ‘United States,’” she mentioned. “We use ‘Heaven.’ We’re interviewing to enter ‘Heaven.’”

She then got here to the states as an orphan. 

“I didn’t study any English, as a result of, I, one, I do not suppose I (would) ever (see) Cambodia once more,” she mentioned. “So, I wish to study my language as a lot as I might. So, once I come right here, I didn’t perceive one phrase of English. I do not even know what sure imply or no imply. After I reside with the individuals who took care of me, (I) have a dictionary for translating. Again then, you will have this paper dictionary, and (you) open (it, and) English (is) in a single aspect, and Cambodian (is) on the opposite, and that is how we speak.”

Years later, Noud-Carlberg mentioned she feels lucky sufficient to have survived. Now, she shares her story along with her prospects at her spice stand. 

“I simply don’t need historical past to repeat as a result of, you realize, I nonetheless, loads of instances, once I speak to the kids right here with the excursions, with their college excursions, after they ask me about my hand and what’s mistaken,” she mentioned. “Youngsters ask, adults doesn’t. They assume it, that I’ve arthritis. However youngsters asks, ‘What’s mistaken together with your hand? What’s mistaken together with your foot or your leg?’ You realize? And I inform them, I inform them, that is what warfare does to individuals,” Noud-Carlberg mentioned.

Narrin’s Spices and Sauces is positioned at Stand E-11 at West Facet Market.