Traditional Dishes You Should Eat
Due to the country’s extraordinary wealth of waterways including the Mekong, Sap and Bassac Rivers, as well as the large lake, Tonlé Sap, freshwater fish and seafood, such as salmon, squid and shrimp, are very popular, especially served in soups, curries . , stir-fries and salads. Beef, pork, chicken, duck and other poultry are widely available but are more expensive than fish dishes. For the fearless, other less common sources of protein include grasshoppers, fried tarantulas, cooked scorpions and grilled snakes.
The staple food in Cambodia is rice – the Khmer term for “eat” is “nam bai”, which directly translates to “eat rice”. Cambodia has the usual aromatic rice, but also delicious sticky rice. Other important starches include cassava, taro and sweet potato. If rice is not on the table, its place will be taken by noodles. Cambodians love their vegetables: they are served fresh and fresh, or fried in a pan in curries, soups and stews. Spices, herbs, such as basil, mint, and coriander, rhizomes, dried fruits, flowers, and leaves add flavor and garnish to food.
1. Amok (coconut fish curry)
Amok trey is Cambodia’s national dish, a fragrant and spicy coconut fish curry gently steamed in banana leaves, giving it a mousse-like texture that makes it melt in the mouth. A mixed spice paste, kroeung, is also added to the dish. Chicken, tofu and snails can be used as substitutes for fish.
2. Kuy teav (Noodle soup)
Cambodian noodle soup is a popular breakfast dish, usually purchased from street vendors. Usually made from vermicelli and beef or pork bones. The sauce is seasoned with fried shallots, spring onions, garlic and bean sprouts. Pork or beef balls are then added before serving.
3. Nom Banh Chok (Khmer noodles)
Num banh chok is another noodle dish that is usually served for breakfast or consumed as an afternoon snack. These fermented vermicelli are made by hand in a stone or wooden mill, soaked in a broth of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, turmeric, and freshwater fish simmered for hours in coconut milk. Then top it with raw vegetables such as banana flowers, cucumber, and lotus stems, as well as fresh herbs such as mint and basil.
4. Samlar machu (Sour soup)
Samlar machu is made with meat, fish, or seafood and vegetables cooked in tamarind sauce. Seasonal local vegetables and herbs may include kale, shallots, spring onions, tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves, basil, cilantro, and lemongrass. There is also a version that uses pineapple. Other main ingredients in this dish are fermented fish paste known as prahok, and a spice paste, kroeung, while typical sour ingredients include krasaing fruit seeds, tamarind, or kaffir lime juice.
5. Kampot Pepper Crab
Cambodia’s Kampot province is famous for its Kampot pepper crab, where whole fresh crab is fried in a garlicky sauce and topped with the famous Kampot green pepper. The sweet crab meat is perfectly combined with the spices and crunch of the pepper to produce a dish that is as delicious and unique as the pepper itself and visit us.