Cambodian cuisine
Template:Short description Template:Culture of Cambodia Template:Contains special characters Template:Use dmy dates Cambodian cuisine is the national cuisine of Cambodia. It reflects the varied culinary traditions of different ethnic groups in Cambodia, central of which is Khmer cuisine (Template:Langx, Template:Literal translation), the nearly-two-thousand-year-old culinary tradition of the Khmer people.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Over centuries, Cambodian cuisine has incorporated elements of Indian, Chinese (in particular Teochew), French, and Portuguese cuisines. Due to some of these shared influences and mutual interaction, Cambodian cuisine has many similarities with the cuisines of Central Thailand, and Southern Vietnam and to a lesser extent also Central Vietnam, Northeastern Thailand and Laos.
Cambodian cuisine can be categorized into three main types: rural, elite and royal cuisine.<ref name="McCafferty&Tham">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although there is some distinction between royal and popular cuisine, it is not as pronounced as in Thailand and Laos.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Cambodian royal dishes tend to feature a wider variety of higher-quality ingredients and contain more meat.<ref name="McCafferty&Tham"/>
Historical influences
1st–9th century
Archaeological evidence shows that by the 1st and 2nd centuries, the region's inhabitants had already settled in small communities that cultivated rice and raised animals. As early as the 1st century, the communities along the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap were growing rice and gathering seafood and fish from the sea, rivers, and lakes.<ref name="Edelstein"/>
Around the 2nd century, Indian merchants introduced many spices to Khmer cuisine. The Indian influence on cuisine among other aspects of Khmer culture was already noted by a Chinese visitor around 400 AD.<ref name="Edelstein"/> From South India through Java, Khmer royal cuisine adopted the preparation of curry pastes, adding lemongrass and galangal to the recipe.<ref name="page 45">Template:Harvnb "Another version traveled from India, by way of Java, into the Khmer courts, and from there into the royal kitchens of Ayuttaya, Thailand, adding cardamom and tamarind to replace the turmeric. Cambodia and Thailand add lemongrass and galangal to the mixture;"</ref> According to Cambodian anthropologist Ang Choulean, the influence of Indian cuisine on rural Cambodian cuisine has been limited or even non-existent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A passage in the Book of Sui describes the diet of 7th-century Chenla inhabitants, noting that it "includes a lot of butter, milk-curds, powdered sugar, rice, and also millet, from which they make a sort of cake which is soaked in meat juices and eaten at the beginning of the meal."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
9th–15th century
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Between 9th and 15th century the culinary influence of the growing Khmer Empire spread beyond the borders of modern-day Cambodia into what is now Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia.<ref name="Albala">Template:Cite book</ref> According to Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan's account, onions, mustard, chives, eggplants, watermelons, winter gourds, snake gourds, amaranth and many other vegetables,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> as well pomegranates, sugarcane, lotus flowers, lotus roots, Chinese gooseberries, bananas, lychees, oranges, and many other fruits were available in the Khmer Empire in late 13th century.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
Food crops and other plants were actively cultivated and harvested in tropical gardens both in and around cities and temples of the Khmer Empire. Archaeobotanical investigations at Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm have identified macroremains of rice, sesame, mung beans, crepe ginger, black peppers, long peppers, and either citron or kaffir lime rind, as well as phytoliths from plants of Cucurbitaceae, Mus, Arecaceae, and Canarium families,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> while archaeobotanical investigations at 14th–15th century Angkor Thom have identified macroremains of rice, sesame, mung beans, pigeon peas, hyacinth beans, and yardlong beans.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
For centuries, Khmer Empire was the dominant Indianized civilization in the region and its influence extended to the culinary arts. The Khmer Empire played a mediating role in transferring the Indian culinary influence now fundamental to Central Thai cuisine.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The close affinity between Cambodian and Central Thai cuisine has been attributed to the extensive, centuries-long contact between the Khmer Empire and Ayutthaya Kingdom. The flavour principles of many Cambodian dishes, such as sour fish soups, stews and coconut-based curries, including steamed curries, share very similar flavour profiles with Central Thai cuisine. However, Cambodian dishes tend to use less chili and sugar,<ref name="Kofahl and David">Template:Cite book</ref> instead emphasizing aromatic spices such as cardamom, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg, along with lemongrass, ginger, galangal, coriander, and wild lime leaves.<ref name="Albala"/>
Khmer cuisine has also influenced Thailand's Isan cuisine<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Khmer cuisine is very popular in the region's lower southern provinces of Surin, Sisaket and Buriram that have a large Northern Khmer population.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Khmer-influenced dishes of the Surin province include sanlo chek, salot rao or kaeng phueak, ang kaep bop, and som jruk.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As Thai tribes migrated southwards they were influenced by the Khmer practice of fermenting fish and adopted local ingredients, including prahok, which became imbedded in the Isan (as pla ra) and Lao cuisine (as padaek) from the time both Isan and Laos were part of the Khmer Empire.<ref name="prohok"/>
Lao cuisine also was influenced from Cambodia cuisines through Lao migration into the country.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Khmer cuisine has much less in common with Isan and Lao cuisines than with Central Thai cuisine.<ref name="Kofahl and David"/>
16th–18th century
In the beginning of 16th century, Portuguese merchants and explorers arrived in Cambodia, introducing a variety of fruits and vegetables from South America, Europe and other parts of Asia. These included papayas, tomatoes, pineapples, peanuts, cashews, avocados, vanilla, apples, passion fruit and sweet potatoes. However, the Portuguese influence on Cambodian cuisine extended beyond just ingredients. The traditional Khmer dessert krob knor ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is a direct descendant of Portuguese fios de ovos, and Cambodian egg cakes num barang (នំបារាំង) are also believed to have Portuguese origins.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Multiple image From the 18th century onwards, the ingredients and dishes of Mekong Delta's indigenous Khmer Krom, most notably spices (cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, clove, ginger, turmeric and ground coriander), curries and fermented food have influenced the cuisine of modern-day Southern Vietnam as large numbers of Vietnamese began settling in the area.<ref name="Vu-Hong"/> Khmer Krom dishes, such as Template:Ill, bún mắm and canh xiêm lo have been adopted by the region's Vietnamese and Chinese people, while Khmer Krom have adopted the Vietnamese lẩu mắm and canh chua and Chinese Yang Chow fried rice into their cuisine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Khmer specialties from the Sóc Trăng province, such as cốm dẹp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and nom kapong<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) have gained popularity throughout the Mekong Delta and other parts of Vietnam. Khmer-style crepes known as ọm chiếl are commonly sold in food stalls around the Mekong Delta, especially in Trà Vinh province.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Conversely, the Vietnamese influence on Cambodian cuisine intensified during two centuries of Vietnamese rule in Cambodia.<ref name="Edelstein">Template:Cite book</ref> Dishes that Cambodian cuisine is believed to have been borrowed from the Vietnamese include beef lok lak<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and nem noeung.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
19th–20th century
From 1863 to 1953, Cambodia was a French protectorate, which led to the adoption of French culinary elements into Cambodian cuisine. Baguettes, or more often demi-baguettes, have become common in Cambodia, often used to make sandwiches with butter, sardines in oil or with pâté. They are also eaten with curries as an alternative to fresh rice noodles or rice. For breakfast, slices of baguette topped with melted cheese, pork liver pâté, or sardines in oil are sometimes served alongside fried eggs or omelettes. The French introduced several ingredients to Cambodian cooking, such as potatoes, onions, butter, margarine, and carrots. Fried potatoes are featured in the so-called "English" version of lok lak, carrots are added to soups, lettuce leaves or sliced onions are incorporated in other Cambodian dishes. Butter and margarine have become preferred fats in Cambodian cuisine. Other Khmer adoptions from the French cuisine include coffee, condensed milk, chocolate, beer and wine.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The French influence is shared with Vietnamese and Lao cuisine as Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were all part of French Indochina.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
In the decades following World War II, many Cambodian urban middle-class and elite families employed cooks trained in French cuisine, and the children of these households often did not learn cooking themselves. The transmission of Cambodian culinary knowledge was further disrupted by the Cambodian Civil War and Cambodian genocide in the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="Albala"/> During the rule of Khmer Rouge, Cambodian cuisine was reduced to a plain rice gruel and Cambodians were forced to start catching and eating insects, frogs, snakes, snails and other small animals to avoid starvation. A lingering remnant of this era is the practice of eating fried spiders (a-ping), which are now sold as street food to tourists and still consumed by some locals, particularly in Skuon, for which it has earned the nickname Spiderville.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
21st century
Nowadays, more and more Asian fast food chains (such as The Pizza Company, Lotteria, Pepper Lunch, Yoshinoya and Bonchon)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Western fast food chains (such as Burger King, KFC, Krispy Kreme and Carl's Jr.) have entered the Cambodian market, especially in Phnom Penh, and fast food has become increasingly integrated into the Cambodian food scene, particularly among the younger generation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Since the early 2010s, an emerging grassroots culinary movement in Siem Reap, called "New Cambodian Cuisine", has gained momentum. It loosely consists of six Cambodian chefs and restaurateurs (Pola Siv, Sothea Seng, Pol Kimsan and Sok Kimsan, Mengly Mork and Pheak Tim) who are experimenting with and modernizing traditional Cambodian dishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> More recently, mobile applications dedicated to Khmer traditional recipes have also been developed, such as "Khmer Cooking Recipe" downloaded more than 100,000 times on Google Play and "Khmer Cooking".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the United States (20th–21st century)
Since the late 1970s, approximately 200,000 Cambodians have settled in the United States of America, nearly half in Southern California, fleeing the Khmer Rouge and the following economic and political turmoil in Cambodia. Cambodian Americans own about 9,000 businesses, predominantly restaurants and grocery stores catering to the local Cambodian American community. Cambodian Americans own around 90% of the 5,000 independently owned doughnut shops in California.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The most successful of them was Ted Ngoy who at the peak of his success owned about 70 doughnut shops in California and was nicknamed "The Donut King".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Over time the food cooked by Cambodians in the United States developed into a distinct Cambodian American variety. Meat, especially beef and chicken, plays a much more central role in Cambodian American meals, which also make much more extensive use of tomatoes and corn.<ref name="Long">Template:Cite book</ref> Unhealthy eating habits, such as consumption of fatty meat, and obesity rates are higher for the Cambodian Americans who experienced more severe food deprivation and insecurity in the past.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The food of second- and third-generation Cambodian Americans has become more Americanized. Cambodian cuisine is not well known in the United States and is usually compared to Thai food by many Americans. Most Cambodian restaurants are located in cities with a significant Cambodian population, such as Lowell, Massachusetts, Long Beach, California and Seattle, Washington. Some of the Cambodian-owned restaurants, however, served other Asian cuisines, especially Thai and Chinese,<ref name="Long"/> whereas in the ones that serve Cambodian cuisine Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese-influenced dishes usually dominate over Khmer dishes.<ref name="Lee and Nadeau">Template:Cite book</ref>
Long Beach, California has the most Cambodian restaurants in the U.S.: twenty-two, including Phnom Penh Noodle Shack and Sophy's. Some Cambodian-owned restaurants in the city, such as Little La Lune Cuisine and Crystal Thai Cambodian, serve Thai food, while others, such as Hak Heang or Golden Chinese Express, serve Chinese food.<ref name="Long"/> Lowell, Massachusetts, has at least twenty Cambodian restaurants, among them Tepthida Khmer and Simply Khmer. Other notable Cambodian restaurants include Sok Sab Bai in Portland, as well as Phnom Penh Noodle House and Queen's Deli in Seattle. The most famous Cambodian restaurant in the U.S. is the Elephant Walk, serving French-inspired Khmer cuisine.<ref name="Long"/> It was opened in 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Longteine de Monteiro. The restaurant also created a cookbook of the same name, which is the first Cambodian American cookbook.<ref name="Lee and Nadeau"/>
In 2000, a part of Central Long Beach was officially designated as Cambodia Town, where since 2005 an annual parade and culture festival takes place that also features Cambodian cuisine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the late 2010s there has been an emerging wave of second-generation Cambodian American chefs and restaurants in the U.S. focusing on Cambodian cuisine.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Among them is the award-winning restaurant Nyum Bai, opened in Fruitvale, Oakland, California in 2018 by chef Nite Yun.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Geographic variations
In Cambodia's coastal regions, dishes with saltwater fish are more common. Kampot was once renowned for its deep-fried pomfret with garlic, sugar, lime juice and chilies. The colonial resort town of Kep historically hosted numerous fine dining seafood restaurants along the promenade that after the city's destruction by Khmer Rouge in the 1970s have been replaced by individual vendors offering simpler seafood dishes, such as crabs sauteed with onions and black pepper, or pieces of dried squid, pounded or grilled over a wood fire served with pickled papaya and cucumbers.<ref name="pages 30–32">Template:Harvnb</ref>
In the northern part of the country, along the Cambodia–Thailand border, dishes are influenced by Thai cuisine and contain an increased amount of coconut milk, chillies and sugar. In northern Cambodia, dishes also include game meats, such as venison and wild bird meat, and bamboo shoots, popular in Lao cuisine, are more frequently used. In northwest Cambodia, remnants of the Khmer imperial cuisine are present, particularly in its steamed curries.<ref name="pages 30–32"/> In Cambodia's upland areas, the availability of wild vegetables is decreasing due to the enclosure of common forests and indigenous Khmer Loeu households are increasingly adopting Khmer-style cooking and meat-heavy diet introduced by Khmer migrants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The differences between rural and urban cuisines are more pronounced than regional variations. Rural cuisine tends to be simpler, relying largely on ingredients that locals can grow or gather themselves. Beef is rare and while pigs and chickens are commonly raised, meat is used sparingly. Due to the high cost of spices and the labour-intensive process of grating meat and extracting coconut milk, curries are typically reserved for special occasions and holidays. In contrast, the ingredients in urban cuisine are more diverse and the dishes more developed, though there remains a notable difference between the food eaten by the poor and the wealthy. Some of the haute cuisine in urban areas originates in the imperial court.<ref name="pages 30–32"/>
Kitchen and eating utensils
In the Khmer Empire, kitchens earthenware pots were used to cook rice, and sometimes an earthenware stove was used to make sauces. Hearths were formed by burying three stones in the ground and ladles were made from coconut shells. Pottery dishes imported from China or copperware were used for serving rice, while sauce containers were made from leaves. Chiao leaves were also used to make single use spoons for carrying liquid to the mouth.<ref name="38–39">Template:Harvnb</ref>
The south wall of the 12th/13th century Bayon temple depicts a Khmer kitchen, including its utensils, many of which are still used throughout modern Cambodia. According to local folklore, the 12th century Wat Athvea once housed an Angkorean-era royal open-air kitchen. They describe the temple's loose fallen stones as kraya cham-en meaning "the preparation of the royal meal" and talk about once-standing brick stoves and a wall where meat, baskets of ingredients, and utensils were hung. However, French archaeologist Claude Jacques contends that there is no archaeological evidence of a surviving Khmer Empire kitchen from that period. He believes the Bayon temple’s bas-reliefs and the writings of the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan are the only surviving records of ancient Khmer kitchens.<ref name="38–39"/>
Nowadays, Khmer rural kitchens are usually placed in an airy location, close, but separate from the main house to avoid smoke from firewood and undesirable odours from disturbing the main household. The most important Khmer kitchen utensils are:
- A mortar and pestle for making kroeung;
- A bamboo sieve for filtering prahok and ripe tamarind juice;
- Earthen stoves with varying heat intensity for cooking different dishes;
- A coconut grater;
- Earthen pots for cooking rice and soup, as well as storing water;
- Jars for storing prahok, kapi and other ingredients.
- Loose bamboo baskets for storing vegetables.<ref name="38–39"/>
In many kitchens, aluminium pots have replaced earthenware. Utensils are usually hung on the walls of the kitchen for easier access. With frying adopted from the Chinese, frying pans are also often found in modern Khmer kitchens. Although usually not considered part of the kitchen utensils, some houses may also have a larger mortar for grinding rice, and flat round bamboo trays for separating husk from the grain.<ref name="38–39"/>
Ingredients
Rice
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Because of Cambodia's geographic location, rice together with fish, especially freshwater fish, are the two most important sources of nutrients in the Cambodian diet. Rice is a staple food generally eaten at every meal.<ref name="Fish">Template:Cite book</ref>
Rice is believed to have been cultivated by the ancestors of the Khmers in the territory of Cambodia since 5,000 to 2,000 B.C.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The advanced hydraulic engineering developed during the Khmer Empire allowed the Khmer to harvest rice and other crops three to four times a year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to the International Rice Research Institute, there are approximately 2,000 rice varieties indigenous to Cambodia bred over the centuries by the Cambodian rice farmers.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> One of them – "Malys Angkor" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) – has been regarded as the world's best rice.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Fermented sauces
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In Khmer, a distinction is made between fermented seafood depending on its consistency and the ingredient. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is the general term for seafood fermented with a special technique and usually includes more solid pieces of the fermented ingredient, whereas prahok (ប្រហុក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and kapi (កាពិ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) have more homogeneous consistency than mam.
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is prepared by adding a mixture of salt, roasted red sticky rice, and palm sugar to snakehead fillets and fermenting them for more than a year. The palm sugar and rice give mam an earthier and sweeter flavour and a reddish tone.<ref name="p.31">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Prahok, on the other hand, can either be made from small fish with all the bones and less salt (called prahok chhoeung) or large deboned fish and more salt (called prahok sach ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}})),<ref name="prohok">Template:Cite journal</ref> which in turn can be made from larger fish (such as the striped snakehead ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}})) or smaller fish (such as trei kamplienh), with or without roe. Roe can be removed from the fish, cleaned, drained, and fermented separately.<ref name="p.31"/> Kapi is made by pounding cleaned, dried, and salted shrimp into a homogeneous paste, sun-drying it for one day, pounding the paste again, sun-drying it for two more days, and pounding the paste for the final time to attain a viscous consistency.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
Prahok is used as flavouring for almost every Khmer dish, mixed with rice or served as a dipping sauce (ទឹកជ្រលក់, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).<ref name="prohok"/> It can also be prepared into dishes of its own, such as prahok k'tis ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), prahok kap ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), teuk khreung, teuk prahok<ref name="p.31"/> prahok ang ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and prahok chien ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). Fermented roe ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is primarily eaten with steamed eggs, omelettes, and other hen or duck egg dishes.<ref name="p.31"/> Kapi is often mixed with sugar, garlic, lime juice, chili, and crushed peanuts and used as a dipping sauce for vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Other sauces used in the Cambodian cuisine include fish sauce (ទឹកត្រី, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), oyster sauce (ទឹកប្រេងខ្យង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), soy sauce (ទឹកស៊ីអ៊ីវ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), tamarind sauce (ទឹកអម្ពិល, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and hoisin sauce (ទឹកសៀង). In particular, Kampot is known for its distinctive variety of fish sauce, made from locally sourced anchovies and valued for its rich, complex flavor.Fish sauce is an important ingredient in Khmer cooking, used to add saltiness to soups and noodle dishes, marinate meats, or as a dipping sauce for fish. Mixed with ingredients, such as garlic, ginger, and lime juice, it is used as a sauce for spring rolls, salads, and noodles. Template:Sfn Oyster sauce was introduced by Chinese immigrants<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> and has become a common ingredient in Cambodian cooking used to add a tangy-sweet flavour to meats and stir-fried vegetables. Oyster sauce, along with fish sauce and soy sauce, is commonly used together when seasoning foods. Soy sauce is also a common ingredient and condiment, mixed with garlic or aged radish to be eaten with primarily high-protein dishes, as well as used to add saltiness when fish sauce is not used. Tamarind sauce is made from tamarind paste mixed with fish sauce, garlic, chili peppers, lime juice, palm sugar, and vinegar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Herbs and spices
The most common herbs and spices in Cambodian cuisine are sweet basil (ជីរនាងវង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), coriander ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), hot mint ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), turmeric (រមៀត, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), garlic, ginger (ខ្ញី, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), galangal (រំដេង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), kaffir lime leaves (ស្លឹកក្រូចសើច, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), neem leaves (ស្លឹកស្ដៅ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), peppermint ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), lemongrass (ស្លឹកគ្រៃ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), chives ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), scallions, saw leaf herb ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), fingerroot (ខ្ខ្ជាយ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and rice paddy herb.<ref name="Edelstein"/><ref name="Rivière 2008 8–17">Template:Harvnb</ref>
Certain regions in Cambodia are known for their spices. Kampot pepper<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Kampong Speu palm sugar<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) have been granted Geographical Indications in Cambodia and protected geographical indication in the European Union. Cardamom Mountains in Southwest Cambodia are famous for their large population of wild cardamom plants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The cultivation of peppercorns in Cambodia dates back to at least the 13th century, and because of its "uniquely strong yet delicate aroma" and "slightly sweet eucalyptus taste," Kampot pepper is often regarded as the world's best pepper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Kroeung
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Kroeung ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} – 'ingredients') is a Khmer fresh flavouring paste commonly used in curries, soups, and stir-fries, one of the essential ingredients of Cambodian cuisine. The base of the paste consists of pounded lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric. There are five common types of kroeung: yellow kroeung (kroeung samlor m’chu), green kroeung (kroeung samlar kako), and red kroeung (kroeung samlor kari), as well as k’tis kroeung (kroeung samlor k’tis), and saraman kroeung (kroeung samlor saraman), each with different uses.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Vegetables
Vegetables are a major component in Cambodian cooking and the second highest quantity of foodstuff consumed after rice, making up 70–80% of a dish.<ref name="Malaysian Journal of Nutrition"/> The Cambodian diet consists heavily of leaf vegetables, such as water morning glory ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), cabbage ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), Chinese kale ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), betel (ស្លឹកម្លូ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), vine spinach ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and watercress ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), which are used in soups, stir-fries (ឆា, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and salads.<ref name="Edelstein"/>
Cambodian cuisine also uses different squashes, such as bitter melon (ម្រះ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), winter melon ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), kabocha, and luffa ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}); root vegetables, such as carrots (ការ៉ុត, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), cassava ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), lotus rhizomes ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), potatoes (ដំឡូង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), radish ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), sweet potatoes ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and jicama ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or ប៉ិកួៈ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}); and other vegetables, such as cucumbers (ត្រសក់, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), eggplants (ត្រប់, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), tomatoes (ប៉េងប៉ោះ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), cauliflower ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), chayotes ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), shallots ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), yardlong beans ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and maize (ពោត, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). Many unripe fruits, such as papaya, green banana, and mango, are also used as vegetables.<ref name="Edelstein"/><ref name="Rivière 2008 8–17"/>
Fruits
Fruits in Cambodia are so popular that they have their own royal court. Durian (ទុរេន, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is considered the "king", mangosteen the "queen", sapodilla ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) the "prince", and milk fruit ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) the "princess". Other popular fruit include kuy fruit ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), romduol, pineapple (ម្នាស់, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), rose apple, jackfruit (ផ្លែខ្នុរ; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), papaya (ល្ហុង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), watermelon (ឪឡឹក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), banana (ចេក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), mango (ស្វាយ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), rambutan (សាវម៉ាវ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> guava ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), longan (មៀន, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and tamarind (អម្ពិល, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).<ref name="Edelstein"/>
Although fruits are usually considered desserts,<ref name="Edelstein"/> some, such as ripe mangoes, watermelon, and pineapples, are commonly eaten with heavily salted fish with plain rice. Fruits are also made into smoothies (ទឹកក្រឡុក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). Popular fruits for smoothies are durian, mangos, and bananas. Sun-dried limes boiled in sugar and salt water are used in chicken and duck soups, sauces with fish, as well as beverages.<ref name="Sassoon&Taing">Template:Cite news</ref>
Since 2018, Koh Trong pomelos ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) are recognized as one of the geographical indications in Cambodia. Pomelos grown in the Kratié Province's Koh Trong commune are known for their sweeter taste and the absence of seeds after ripening.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Fish and meat
There are more than 900 different freshwater and saltwater fish species found in Cambodia. Approximately 475,000 tons of fish (ត្រី, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) are caught in Cambodia every year, and a Cambodian annually consumes 63 kg of fish on average. They are fried, dried, smoked, and fermented into prahok and fish sauce. Fish and fish-based products are eaten two to three times a day.<ref name="Fish"/> Popular fish are snakeheads, snappers, catfishes (ត្រី, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and mackerels.<ref name="Albala"/> Cambodian chef Luu Meng has estimated that approximately 40–50% of Cambodian dishes are made with fish.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the late-13th-century Khmer Empire, cows were only used for pulling carts, and geese had been recently introduced by the Chinese sailors.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Since the 1980s, the role of meat in the Cambodian diet has increased significantly, and nowadays the consumption of meat, such as beef ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), pork ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and poultry, has become common, especially in the capital region.<ref name="Malaysian Journal of Nutrition">Template:Cite journal</ref> In Siem Reap, ground pork or beef is made into spicy or sweet and savoury sausages ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (pork); {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (beef)) that are eaten with steamed white rice, congee, or baguettes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other seafood includes an array of shellfish such as crabs (ក្ដាម, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), clams, cockles (ងាវ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), crayfish (បង្កង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), shrimp, and squid (ត្រីមឹក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). Boiled or fried cockles seasoned with salt, chili, and garlic are sold as a popular street food.<ref name="street food"/> Giant freshwater prawns are usually only eaten by middle- and upper-class Cambodians because of their price. More unusual varieties of meat include frogs (កង្កែប, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; most commonly eaten are East Asian bullfrogs, rice field frogs, balloon frogs, banded bullfrogs, yellow frogs, and Asian common toads),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> turtles<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (អណ្ដើក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and arthropods (such as tarantulas ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), fire ants, grasshoppers (កណ្ដូប, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), giant water bugs, and crickets (ចង្រិត, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}})).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Crickets, water bugs, and tarantulas are seasoned with salt, sugar, and oil, deep-fried, and sold as street food.<ref name="street food"/>
Noodles
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Cambodian noodles are made out of rice, wheat, and tapioca flour ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) in varying thickness. Wheat noodles, such as the hand-pulled noodles ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), a loanword from Teochew 面<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>) and the thinner wheat vermicelli ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), have been adopted from the Chinese cuisine and incorporated into distinct Cambodian noodle soups and stir-fries. Rice noodles include the indigenous lightly fermented num banhchok ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), as well as rice vermicelli ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), banh sung ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), silver needle noodles ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and banh hoi ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
Food stalls
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In Khmer, haan bai (ហាងបាយ Template:Literal translation) is a generic term for food stalls serving both made-to-order and pre-prepared food (usually from large aluminum pots). In Phnom Penh, haan bai account for nearly four-fifths of all meals eaten outside the house, with pre-prepared food venues or soup-pot restaurants accounting for nearly three-quarters of meals eaten at a haan bai. Soup-pot restaurants are the most popular dining format among Cambodians and their popularity is inversely correlated with socioeconomic status.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The Khmer word haan ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is borrowed from Chinese háng ("store", "business"). More specifically, the stalls are referred to by the main food served—for example, rice noodle stalls ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) or coffee stalls (ហាងកាហ្វេ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
Dishes
Stews and curries
Template:Multiple image The Khmer term samlor ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) encompasses a wide variety of stews and curries, which are staples in Cambodian cuisine. These curries are typically served with rice, fresh noodles, or a baguette. and often include seafood, chicken, beef, or pork. Vegetarian Cambodian curries are less common. Popular Cambodian curries are fish amok, num banhchok, kari sach moan, sour beef curry and curry leaf chicken.<ref name="Cambodian Food">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The word kari ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) specifically refers to an Indian-style curry and is believed to be a loanword from Tamil.<ref name="Pou">Template:Cite journal</ref> Curries play an important role in ceremonial occasions in Cambodia and are distinctive for their use of sweet potatoes, setting them apart from other Asian curries.<ref name="Rivière 2008 71">Template:Harvnb</ref>
Stir-fries
Cambodian stir-fries combine aromatic ingredients with strong flavours, such as lemongrass, galangal, holy basil and garlic. An essential component of Cambodian stir-fry dishes is fish sauce and oyster sauce, which provide a pungent, umami-rich base, balanced by lime juice, palm sugar and other milder ingredients.<ref name="Cambodian Food"/> The Khmer term cha ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), borrowed from Chinese, refers to the method of sautéing or stir-frying, which has been integrated into Cambodian cuisine from Chinese cuisine and can be found as fried rice ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and fried noodles ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), among others. The Khmer verb kha ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), on the other hand, refers to the technique of stewing in soy sauce and could be ascribed to Vietnamese kho.<ref name="Pou"/>
Salads
Vegetables and fruits are the foundation of many Cambodian salads; for example, green cabbage forms the basis of neorm salads. Fruits, especially unripe ones, are also frequently used, such as green papaya in bok lahong and green mango in nhoam svay. Common herbs in Cambodian salads include lemongrass, mint, Asian basil, and cilantro. Popular spices that add pungency to these dishes are garlic, ginger, shallots, and Kampot pepper. Dressings and favouring, such as fish or soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and white or palm sugar, are often used to balance saltiness, acidity, and sweetness. Sugar is used to counterbalance the intensity of lime juice or other sour ingredients. Almost all Cambodian salads include some form of animal protein, such as beef, chicken, pork, or seafood, and sometimes even raw or marinated meat. Some of the most popular Cambodian salads are nhoam svay ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), pleah sach ko ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), nhoam trasak, nhoam masour, nhoam kroch thlong ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and larb (which can be made with chicken, pork, or beef).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Desserts
Desserts are eaten at the end of a meal or throughout the day as a snack by Cambodians. There are four main types of Cambodian desserts: rice-based desserts, fruit-based desserts, puddings ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and custards. Steaming and grilling are the most common cooking techniques for Cambodian desserts, whereas deep-frying is often used to make pastries as baking is not very widespread in Cambodia outside of commercial bakeries. For rice-based desserts, glutinous rice and rice flour are most frequently used. Popular Cambodian rice-based desserts are num ansom chek, num plae ai ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and num chak chol ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). In fruit-based desserts, fruit, such as mango, jackfruit, papaya, and guava, are often combined with pandan leaf extract, banana leaves, coconut milk, cream, or shavings. Bey dom neib is an essential fruit-based Khmer dessert that blends the fragrance and sweetness of ripe mangoes and coconut. Cambodian puddings are generally made with coconut milk or cream and tapioca pearls, and are eaten either hot or chilled, with ice cubes. Two common Cambodian puddings are with sweetcorn ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and mung beans ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Beverages
Water is the most popular drink. As drinking water sources are not always easily accessible in rural areas water is boiled at home and consumed hot. In urban areas bottled water, as well as soda and sweetened fruit beverages, are available. Green tea (តែបៃតង, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is consumed throughout the day.<ref name="Edelstein"/> It is believed to have been introduced in the Khmer Empire by the Chinese, but despite the growing consumption and suitable climate nowadays most green tea is imported and very little is grown locally.<ref name="Starkey">Template:Cite news</ref> Camellia sinensis cambodiensis, a local strain of the tea plant, grows in the Kirirom National Park, in the remnants of a former 300-hectare tea plantation<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> established in the 1960s by the King Norodom Sihanouk,<ref name="Starkey"/> and the area around Chamkar Te village in Mondulkiri Province. Recently, there have been efforts to revive the Cambodian tea production.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sweet tea ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is also prepared and consumed.<ref name="Cambodian drinks">Template:Cite book</ref>
In urban areas coffee ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is also popular and is usually served with sweetened condensed milk rather than black.<ref name="Edelstein"/> Coffee can be consumed either iced (កាហ្វេទឹកកក, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) or hot.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It is sold in coffee carts, coffeehouse chains and specialty coffee shops.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> More than 90% of all coffee in Cambodia is imported from other countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Smoothies ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) are made out of mixed fruit juice and are sold in food markets.<ref name="Cambodian drinks"/> Soy milk ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is sold in the morning by street vendors; the green version is sweetened and thicker than the unsweetened white. Served either hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened. Sugarcane juice (ទឹកអំពៅ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is also a popular street drink made by pressing the juice out of sugarcane stalks with a special machine. Served with ice and sometimes flavoured with citrus to balance the sweetness.<ref name="street food">Template:Cite book</ref> Pandan juice ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is made from the extract of pandan leaves and usually sold in Cambodian food stalls.
Fermented beverages
Five fermented alcoholic beverages were produced in the late-13th century Khmer Empire: mead, pengyasi made from the leaves of an unidentified plant, baolengjiao made from rice hulls and rice leftovers, "sugar-shine wine" made from sugar and palm starch wine made from the starch of the leaves of a palm growing on the riverbank.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
Nowadays, the most popular alcoholic beverage is beer (ប៊ីយេរ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).<ref name="beer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first domestically brewed beer was produced in the 1930s during the French Indochina period by the Brasseries & Glacières de L'Indochine company in Phnom Penh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1995, the annual beer consumption per capita was only around two liters,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but by 2004 it began to rise significantly and in 2010 beer overtook spirits as the most popular alcoholic beverage in Cambodia.<ref name="beer"/> Currently, the four biggest beer producers in Cambodia are the Cambrew Brewery, Cambodia Brewery, Khmer Brewery and Kingdom Breweries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Recently, there has also been a quickly growing craft beer scene with 12 brewpubs or microbreweries operating in Cambodia in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In rural areas, rice wine (ស្រាស, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and palm wine (ទឹកត្នោតជូរ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) are the most consumed alcoholic beverages.<ref name="Malaysian Journal of Nutrition"/> Rice wine is produced by fermenting boiled and dried rice with a natural fermentation starter (dom bai) for at least 24 hours and distilling the resulting mixture.<ref name="Mee">Template:Cite news</ref> Modern distillation methods were introduced during the French Indochina period.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Occasionally, there have been instances of methanol poisoning from low quality home-made rice wine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rice wine can be infused with various herbs, roots, bark and insects to create medicinal rice wines (srah tinum).<ref name="Mee"/> A popular drink infused with deer antlers and different herbs is the Special Muscle Wine manufactured since 1968 by Lao Hang Heng Wine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company also produces popular Golden Muscle Liquor and Wrestler Red Wine,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> whereas Sombai manufactures a line of premium infused rice wines.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Palm wine is a lower-prestige alcoholic beverage. It might have become popular during the French Indochina period as a cheap alternative to other wines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Palm wine is produced by fermenting Asian palmyra palm sap either through spontaneous fermentation by adding several plants to the sap and hanging the containers on trees or through the addition of a fermentation starter (ម៉ែទឹកត្នោតជូរ, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) made from fermented palm sap and various dried plant xylems and bark.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Confirel in Pou Senchey District uses the Champagne method to produce sparkling palm wine under the name "Thnot Sparkling Mekong Wine".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A regional beverage of the Mondulkiri province is yellow and purple passion fruit wine,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while wine from jambolan is produced by a company in Takéo province.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Samai Distillery, Cambodia's first rum distillery, produces rum and even uses Kampot peppercorns in one of its products.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cambodia's first and only winery Chan Thai Choeung In Battambang has been commercially producing grape wine since 2005.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Meals and eating etiquette
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In Cambodia, meals are usually freshly prepared three times a day (for breakfast, lunch and dinner), although in rural areas only breakfast and dinner may be eaten. Due to a general lack of refrigeration, leftovers are usually eaten the same day or reheated for the next day. A typical Cambodian breakfast consists of rice porridge with dried salted fish, rice with dried salted fish and vegetables, baguette with condensed milk or rice/egg noodles with meat and leaf vegetables. For lunch and dinner, Cambodians usually eat steamed rice, soup with meat (fish, pork, chicken or beef) and leaf vegetables, fried fish or other meat and fruit.<ref name="Edelstein"/> In the wet season, Cambodian meals contain considerably more rice, vegetables, starchy root vegetables and tubers, as well as condiments and spices.<ref name="Malaysian Journal of Nutrition"/>
In Cambodian meals just like the rest of Southeast Asia, all dishes are served and eaten simultaneously, as opposed to the European course-based meal format or the Chinese meal with overlapping courses.<ref name="56–57">Template:Harvnb</ref> The only exception is if the meal contains French-style dishes, in which case the dishes are served in courses.<ref name="Albala"/> A number of side dishes are usually served alongside the main dishes.<ref name="56–57"/> In addition to that, a variety of condiments, such as chili jam, pickled green chillies, sugar, garlic flakes, fish sauce and soy sauce, are also available.<ref name="Travelfish">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While steamed rice and soups are usually served hot, side dishes may be served at room temperature. The balance of flavours and satisfaction of individual preferences are achieved by combining the individual dishes and rice.<ref name="56–57"/> For example, a Cambodian meal may consist of a sour soup, a salty fish, fried vegetables and plain rice, which is different from Thai food where sourness, saltiness, sweetness and spiciness are usually contained within a single dish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Khmer food is traditionally eaten with hands, but nowadays spoons, forks and chopsticks are also used. Knives are rarely used as the majority of Cambodian food is already cut into bite-sized pieces. Forks and spoons were introduced by the French and are used for eating rice and/or soup-based dishes, whereas chopsticks were introduced by the Chinese and are used only for eating noodle dishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
International popularity
Unlike the neighboring Vietnamese or Thai cuisines, Cambodian cuisine is not very known across the world. Food Republic has described Cambodian cuisine as "The Greatly Underappreciated Outlier In Asian Cooking".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Fodor's Travel has called Cambodian cuisine "the most underrated in Southeast Asia" and Siem Reap "SE Asia’s Most Underrated Food Destination",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while the magazine Time Out has named Kep one of "18 of the world’s most underrated food cities"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Outside of Cambodia, Cambodian cuisine can generally be found in countries with sizeable Cambodian diaspora, such as the United States, France, Australia and Canada, especially in the Little Cambodia ethnic enclaves, but it is often aimed towards the local Cambodian community. Due to commercial considerations and the ethnic composition of the Cambodian diaspora many Cambodian-owned restaurants have chosen to serve the better-known Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese food instead, making most of them a fusion restaurant instead of a Cambodian focused one.
Culinary diplomacy
In December 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation launched an official "Food Diplomacy 2021–2023" campaign as part of a larger economic diplomacy strategy. At the launch Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn listed prahok, fish amok, nhoam kroch thlong, samlor kako, samlor ktis, prahok ktis and num banhchok as some of the Khmer dishes to be promoted in the campaign. The ministry also established a program to train Cambodian cooks for serving in Cambodian embassies and a program for providing ambassador spouses with knowledge about the Khmer cuisine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In February 2021, the ministry published a cookbook The Taste of Angkor as a culinary promotion tool for Cambodian diplomatic missions abroad.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A 1960 Cambodian cookbook and culinary guide "The Culinary Art of Cambodia" by Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana republished in May 2021 by Angkor Database was also included in the campaign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2021, a series of promotional videos under the slogan "Taste Cambodia" featuring Khmer foods and culinary activities in different Cambodian regions commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia were released.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2022, culinary training and representation facilities under the name of "Angkor Kitchen" were unveiled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Awards
Cookbooks
The cookbook "From Spiders to Water Lilies, Creative Cambodian Cooking with Friends" published by non-governmental organization Friends-International has received the 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Award as the "Best Asian Cuisine Cookbook", becoming the first book from Cambodia to win the award.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The French-language Khmer cookbook Au Pays de la Pomme Cythère, de Mère en Fille, Authentiques Recettes Khmères written and self-published by Kanika Linden and her mother Sorey Long<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> has won the 2010 Gourmand Awards as the world's "Best Asian Cuisine Cookbook". The English-language version of the book "Ambarella, Cambodian Cuisine" has won the 2013 Gourmand Awards as the "Best Asian Cuisine Cookbook" in the UK<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and world's "Best Asian Cuisine Cookbook" in 2014.
The cookbook "The Taste of Angkor" published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia has won the 2021 Gourmand World Cookbook Award as the "Best Asian Cookbook"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 2022 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as the "Best Asian Cuisine Book" and "Heads of State/Food" for the book's foreword written by Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The republished Cambodian cookbook and culinary guide The Culinary Art of Cambodia has received the "Special Award of the Jury" at the 2022 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rotanak Ros' cookbook "Nhum: Recipes from a Cambodian Kithchen" has received 2020 Gourmand Awards in the "Woman chef Book" and "Published in Asia" categories<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and her second cookbook "SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine" has received Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the categories "Best Of The Best", "Asian-Books" and "Heads Of State".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Restaurants
Joannès Rivière's Cuisine Wat Damnak has been included in position No. 50 of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2015, becoming the first Cambodian restaurant to make the list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 2016 list it rose to the 43rd position.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, the restaurant Embassy spearheaded by the Kimsan Twins was included in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants newly created 50 Best Discovery list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Chefs
Cambodian chef Luu Meng has received Asia's Top Chef award from the Malaysia-based business and lifestyle magazines "Top 10 of Malaysia" and "Top 10 of Asia" in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cambodian chefs from the Cambodia Chefs' Association have won the 2019 ASEAN Gourmet Challenge with three gold medals, as well as received six silver and 17 bronze medals in the Global Pastry Chefs Challenge and Global Young Chefs Challenge categories at the Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge taking place from 28 May to 1 June in Bangkok.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
Template:Sister project Template:Wikivoyage
- Cambodia's Forgotten Food. 11 November 2018. The Food Programme. BBC Sounds
- Dunston, Lara (16 August 2017). Cambodian Food – Cooking with Fire, Foraging, Fermentation and Flowers. Grantourismo Travels.
- Dunston, Lara (20 August 2016). Dispelling Cambodian Cuisine Myths — It's Not 'Mild Thai'! Grantourismo Travels.
- Lees, Phil (18 August 2006). Why travelers dislike Khmer food. Phnomenon.
- Exploring Cambodian Food in Long Beach, CA with Phnom Penh Noodle Shack and Allen Prom Template:Webarchive. 21 January 2021. Eating America with India
- Ethan Lim: Cambodian Futures. 25 April 2023. American Masters. PBS
- Khmer Krom recipes
- Taste Cambodia. 18 July 2021. Visit Cambodia - Kingdom of Wonder. via YouTube.
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