Angkor Times Latest Questions

Kheang Sreyphin
Kheang SreyphinExperienced
Asked: April 20, 2021

When you think about the foods that are most representative of Cambodia, you probably think about food that is eaten on a daily basis. These are the Cambodian foods that are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, there are ...Read more

When you think about the foods that are most representative of Cambodia, you probably think about food that is eaten on a daily basis. These are the Cambodian foods that are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, there are also a number of foods that are eaten on special occasions or during festivals that are considered national symbols of Cambodia. Among those foods are:

1. Rice

Cambodian Cooked Rice

Cambodian Cooked Rice

Rice is considered to be one of the essential food in Cambodia. This food is not only the most important, but it is also the most used one in the Cambodian dishes. Cambodians usually put rice as the first ingredient in their dishes. This ingredient is the one that makes the difference and makes their dishes unique. When rice is first in a dish, it means that it is the main dish. It is served together with other ingredients to accompany it. If there is no rice, it is not considered as a dish. Rice is not just eaten only in Cambodia. It is also eaten in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

2. Amok

Amok is very famous in Cambodia. It’s considered to be the most popular food, national dish, and important food in Cambodia. You’ll easily spot this types of food everywhere, and if you’re new in this country, I also recommend you to try this food out as well. Cambodian normally makes this food when there is a special occasion like when they celebrate an engagement, but you can make and eat this anytime you want, and many restaurants in Cambodia usually put this types of food on their menu list. People who live near to local rivers are able to enjoy amok truly each day in the event that they so wish. By utilizing the freshest of amok, you’ll be guaranteed of the most excellent result as the amok will have the perfect texture and will not be dry. You can eat this with rice to make it more delicious.

3. Khmer Curry

Khmer curry

Khmer curry

Curry is one of the most important and famous food in Cambodia. Cambodian people always make this food when the festivals and special occasions are approaching like Khmer New Year festival, Phum Benh day, or banquet. This food will cost you a big amount of money and ingredients, even the process of making this dish is also a bit complicated, but if you’re good at cooking, that won’t be a problem for you. You can eat this with a bowl of rice for sure, or you can eat with Khmer noodle also known as Num Banh Chok to make it more and more unique and tasty. For the recipe, you can check out this website for more detail: https://houseofnasheats.com/cambodian-chicken-red-curry/

4. Num Banh Chok (Khmer noodle)

Num banh chok refers to both the new ever-so-lightly-fermented rice noodles that are still made every day by hand by artisanal noodle creators all over Cambodia, fair as they’ve continuously been made, as well as the tasty breakfast noodle dish, comprised of the rice noodles soaked in a soup, ‘gravy’ or curry, served with regular vegetables, and decorated with fragrant herbs, scrounged clears out, and eatable flowers. This type of food is very healthy and delicious. Cambodian people always make this with any kind of fishes, and you can enjoy this food every day. People always make this when Phum Benh day is approaching, and in other special events.

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Kheang Sreyphin
Kheang SreyphinExperienced
Asked: March 31, 2021

When people think of Cambodia, they tend to think of its beautiful temples, or its violent history. And yet, ask any Cambodian for what they think of their own country, and you’ll get an answer along the lines of “the ...Read more

When people think of Cambodia, they tend to think of its beautiful temples, or its violent history. And yet, ask any Cambodian for what they think of their own country, and you’ll get an answer along the lines of “the most famous food in Cambodia”. There are some traditional foods of Cambodia, instant food and some Westernized versions, and they are become popular.

What is the most famous food in Cambodia?

What is the most famous food in Cambodia?

1. Western food

When it comes to fast food or western food, many people think of pizza, burger, and many more. Some of Cambodian people don’t have enough time to cook, so they chiefly dine out, or order food to eat at home. Eating fast food is a lots convenient that eating traditional food since fast food is easy to get done unlike traditional food. Making traditional food takes long time, and it’s quite hard to get done. Fast food tastes amazing as it’s combined from cheese, bread, and some special ingredient that make it more appetizing, unique, and delicious. Even though fast food is easy to prepare, but eating this is not really good for health.

2. Khmer Traditional food

Traditional food takes quite long time to get done, but it’s worth the time. Eating traditional food in Cambodia is healthy as the ingredients are principally combined with organic vegetable, the taste is well-balance which mean it’s not too salty, and sweet. Also, the calories of traditional food are quite lower than the fast food one, so with this reason eating traditional food is healthier than eating fast food.

There are some of Khmer traditional cuisine, which are very famous, common, and healthy to eat. One of the most common recipe is called amok trey kiet, in which you wrap the critter in a banana leaf and fry it, but there are also amok chrolie and amok truk, which both are made by wrapping the scorpion in the leaf and steaming it. It’s very famous in Cambodia, and well-known by many people including foreigners and locals.

3. Instant food

Instant food is also very famous in Cambodia. Instant food is the best when people don’t have much time to arrange the food, or when they are at workplace or somewhere else where don’t have space or enough equipment, ingredient to cook. Instant food is already cooked, so when you eat, you can warm it up, or put it in the microwave, then it’s done. You can also enjoy without warming or putting in the microwave as well.

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Kheang Sreyphin
Kheang SreyphinExperienced
Asked: March 31, 2021

Cambodia is considered to be one of the best country for healthy and unique food. Since most people prefer to eat fast food as it’s more convenient, and spend effortless in making food, so they don’t normally try and eat ...Read more

Cambodia is considered to be one of the best country for healthy and unique food. Since most people prefer to eat fast food as it’s more convenient, and spend effortless in making food, so they don’t normally try and eat either homemade or traditional food. So just in case, you miss the traditional food and want to eat the most common and national dish in Cambodia, the list below will brief you some of Cambodian national cuisine.

1. Creamy Prohok dip

Creamy Prohok dip also known as Prohok Ktis is one of the best national dish among other Khmer food. The texture is quite creamy since it’s combined from coconut cream, prohok, palm sugar, and so on. It tastes good when eating with a bowl of rice, and dipping with all types of fresh vegetable. You’ll smell the aroma of prohok when putting it in your mouth, and it’ll even melt immediately as it’s mixed until it becomes small creamy pieces. Cambodian people occasionally make this in special event such as in Pchum Ben days or when celebrating a ceremony.

Related: Is Cambodian food similar to Thai?

2. Lemongrass sour soup

This soup is perfectly fit in the cold weather and rainy tropical days. This can be made from any types of meat such as fish, beef, chicken, and pork. Adding the vegetable such as water lily, watercress, and papaya are best way to make the soup more appetizing. Don’t forget to add a bit of chilies or banana pepper in the soup to make it spicier and appealing, and also prepare a small bowl of fish sauce with crash garlic and chili, just in case the soup is a bit blend so that you can adjust to your own favorite. Cambodian people always enjoy this cuisine anytime they want.

3. Khmer noodle

Khmer noodle is also being called as Nom ban chok by Cambodian people. You may think this dish is simple, but It’s beyond your imagination. This food is combined from the noodle which is pounded out of rice, soup with lemongrass paste which is topped with fish based. Fresh vegetable such as cucumber, banana flower, cabbage is also being served in this type of national food. Chili is the optional, but I suggest to add chili in the Nom Banh Chok to make it more delicious. You won’t get enough of it when eating this food, and you also can serve this as your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Related: Expat Ultimate Guide: Living in Cambodia

4. Fragrant vegetable soup

Fragrant vegetable soup is being combined from many kinds of vegetable such as eggplant, papaya, pumpkin, and so on. You can add meat to make it taste good. This fragrant soup is also known as Som Lor Korko or Som Lor Pro her. It’s taste amazing which is very unique with the well-balanced of ingredient, and mixed of many types of fresh organic vegetable. You can eat this with a bowl of rice or eat it alone. Add more chilies to make it more aromatic, attractive, and delicious.

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Kheang Sreyphin
Kheang SreyphinExperienced
Asked: February 20, 2021

People in Cambodia are most commonly eat either healthy food or fast food. Cambodian food is considered to be healthy and full of nutrients as it consists of rice, organic vegetable, and not too much meat in every side dish. ...Read more

People in Cambodia are most commonly eat either healthy food or fast food. Cambodian food is considered to be healthy and full of nutrients as it consists of rice, organic vegetable, and not too much meat in every side dish. Fast food is the type of food that has high calories than healthy food. People enjoy different types of side dishes as well as Asian food, and western food depend on time and situation.

In Cambodia, people have to eat three meals a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Are you wondering of what people in Cambodia eat in a day? Do they only eat fast food and healthy food excluding spicy food? If so, no worries, the lists below will let you know what types of food that people in Cambodia usually enjoy.

Eating in Cambodia

Eating in Cambodia

Read more: What are the benefits of foreign investment?

What people eat in the morning in Cambodia

For breakfast, every country has their own style of breakfast. In Europe, they would prefer eating toast with fry egg, or omelet with ham or sausages, but in Asia, it would be a little different from western, notably in Cambodia. In Cambodia, every meal has to include at least a bowl of rice. Below are the common breakfasts that people generally enjoy.

  • Rice with pork: People would eat a bowl of rice with pork or chicken also known as Bay Sach Chrouk or Bay Sach Mon as a breakfast. They will enjoy this meal with a bowl of hot soup as it’s additional. Pork is marinated well and grilled over charcoal. This Bay Sach Chrouk is served with pickle radish and cucumber, which is easily to get done. This is one of the most popular types of breakfast, a dish cost for only 5000 riels to 8000 riels ($1.25 to $2). Many locals enjoy this types of breakfast with a cup of coffee.
  • Porridge: this is also one of the common breakfast. This porridge will serve with salted sun dry fish. It’s the best combination ever, and it’s so good. This dish is cost only 2000 riels to 4000 riels ($0.5 to $1). You can prepare this type of side dishes at home by yourself as the process of making this is not complicated. People will sometimes enjoy eating noodle soup as their breakfast too.

Related: Where should I stay in Cambodia?

What people eat in the afternoon and evening.

The kinds of food that people eat as lunch or dinner are commonly the same as because when the food is left over from lunch, they will keep and reheat it again, and eat as dinner. Every meal could be soup or stir fried vegetable with meat. Khmer food is made with organic vegetables which add aromatic and spicy flavor to the traditional dishes. Khmer cuisine is well balanced which is not too sweet or too salty. The food that people eat as lunch and dinner are generally made with home-grown vegetables. Below are the common side dishes, which are usually eaten:

  • Stir fried vegetable with meat: people usually eat stir fried food as it’s easy to make, and delicious. Using the fresh vegetable, add a little bit of oyster sauce and stir it well with meat until it’s well cooked, then you can enjoy your meal with a bowl of rice.
  • Mango salad: people will eat this salad with any kind of meat. Making this, you can just use a green mango, and peel off the skin. Then, clean it and thinly slice the mango. After that, mix it with the fish sauce and add more seasoning as well as salt, sugar, at last, it’s done.
  • Besides these, people will prepare another side dishes such sweet and sour soup with fish, Khmer noodle, Cambodian sausages, and many more. You can discover any kind of food you like in Cambodia.

Along with Khmer food, people also enjoy western food or fast food such as burger, sandwich, pizza, meatball, so on and so forth, but not commonly eat. They will also eat spicy food such as papaya salad, and spicy marinated raw crabs. There are plenty of foods that people in Cambodia usually eat not only Khmer cuisine; they sometimes enjoy eating fast food and canned food as well.

What do they eat in Cambodia?

What do they eat in Cambodia?

 

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