Much of the cuisine in Southeast Asia is made with a blend of surrounding influences. But, here in Cambodia, Khmer food falls into a category of its own. Whether you prefer something exotic like crocodile or duck embryo or something classy like Fish Amok or Kep Peppercorn Crab, each dish has distinct flavors that just may make your mouth tingle. It’s not really spicy, salty, or sweet, but a beautiful mix of all three. Finding food to try in Cambodia is an adventure in itself. Just make sure you wash that Durian down with a cold Angkor Beer (or water beetles!)
National Dish:
Fish Amok (baked fish with lemon grass-based sauce, coconut and chilli)
Entrée:
K’tieu pork and shrimp noodle soup
Mains:
Bai Sach Chrouk Pork and rice
Khmer red curry
Lok Lak stir-fried beef
Lap Khmer beef salad
Bok L’hong Khmer green papaya salad
Mekong fish
Khor pig trotter stew
Tableside sizzling BBQ: crocodile, Lok lak beef, K’dam chaa
Crab (from Kep)
Happy Pizza (with marijuana!)
Sides:
Num banh chok Khmer curry noodles
Mee katang noodles with meat, veg and oyster sauce
Bai cha Khmer fried rice
Kralan sticky rice with sugar and coconut
Prahok fish paste
Rice, Kampot Pepper
Snacks:
Balut Fertilised Duck Embryo eggs
Fried tarantula
Water beetles and crickets (!)
Red tree ants, Termite eggs (!!),
Fruit:
Durian (smelly, spiky fruit), Mangosteen, Rambutan, Longan,
Dessert:
Pong Aime sweets
Cha houy Teuk jelly dessert
Drinks:
Iced Coffee, Iced Tea
Khmer drink (soda water and lemon), fresh coconut juice
Tuk-a-loc (fruits, raw egg, condensed milk)
Beer:
Angkor, Anchor and Cambodia
Wine:
Palm Wine, Rice Wine, Golden Muscle Wine (made from deer antlers!)
Hana LaRock is originally from New York, though has called other places around the world her home for the last two years. She currently lives in South Korea as an English teacher and freelance travel writer. When she’s not working, she enjoys writing, reading, spending time with her dog, and of course, traveling. You can find her at www.hanalarockwriting.com.