Throw Seeds is a traditional Khmer New Year game that’s played with the large, glossy seeds of what Cambodians call ‘Forest Tamarind’. These large seeds are called Angkunh.

Angkunh seeds have the same lacquered feel as domestic Tamarind seeds but are magnitudes larger and have a flattened shape.

The game is played played between two teams who stand some distance apart and place five dried Angkunh seeds upright in front of them; four in the corners and one in the middle. The positioning of the five Angkunh seeds actually matches the layout of Angkor Wat, which is in turn a reference to Hinduism’s mythical Mount Meru.

The goal is to toss an Angkunh seed so that you knock down the other team’s four corner Angkunh seeds first and their central Angkunh seed last. Each player on a team has three throws. The team that knocked over the most Angkunh seeds wins.

But there is one complication! If a player knocks down the central Angkunh seed while the corner Angkunh seeds are still standing then their team automatically loses the game and they suffer an additional punishment! The other team rushes over and taps the seeds (Angkunh) against their knees! I think we were playing the gentle MCC version because when I’ve seen them play in the countryside… It’s more than a tap. More like a solid thwap.