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1. Chrouk's book: Pork rice
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| Despite its simple preparation, this dish is incredibly delicious and appealing to tourists. |
Appearing on almost every street corner across Cambodia every early morning, bai sach chrouk (also known as pork rice) is one of the country's simplest and most delicious dishes. Thinly sliced pork is grilled over charcoal to retain its natural sweetness. Sometimes, locals marinate the meat with coconut milk or garlic, so visitors can enjoy bai sach chrouk with many different flavors.
2. Amok
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| This dish is usually steamed in banana leaves, which gives it its distinctive flavor. |
This is also one of the most famous dishes and is considered a quintessential part of Cambodian cuisine. It embodies the unique flavors of the land of temples, from the delicate sweetness of palm sugar and the rich creaminess of coconut milk to the subtle aroma of fermented fish paste, all blended with the distinctive fragrance of banana leaves.
3. Khmer Red Curry
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| Khmer red curry is suitable for a wide range of diners. |
Unlike spicy Thai curry, which is primarily chili pepper-based, Khmer red curry is rich in coconut milk flavor, making it suitable for many tourists' tastes. The dish also features a variety of meats such as beef, chicken, and fish, served with eggplant, beans, potatoes, fresh coconut milk, lemongrass, and kroeung (a type of ginger astringent). It is often served with bread.
4. Lap Khmer: Beef salad with lime dressing
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| The colorful dishes are appealing to tourists. |
This popular dish consists of thinly sliced beef, blanched or rare in lemon juice. It's then mixed with onions, garlic, fish sauce, basil, mint, green beans, and pepper, giving the beef a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy flavor from chili peppers.
5. Nom banh chok: Khmer noodles
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| A popular breakfast dish in Cambodia. |
This is a popular Cambodian breakfast dish, consisting of rice noodles, green curry with fish, turmeric, and lime. Fresh mint leaves, long beans, banana flour, cucumber, and other green vegetables are also served as accompaniments.
6. Kdam chaa: Fried crab
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| Crabs, a specialty of the Kep coastal region. |
Fried crab is a specialty of Kep town, Cambodia. The town's famous crab market is known for its fried crab with Kampot green peppers.
7. Red ants with beef and basil
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| Fried ants, one of the most unique dishes of the Cambodian people. |
You'll easily find almost any kind of insect on Cambodian menus. And fried red ants served with beef and basil is one of the dishes that particularly attracts tourists. The ants are stir-fried in a pan with ginger, garlic, turmeric, and thinly sliced beef. Chili peppers enhance the flavor of this dish.
8. Ang dtray-meuk: Grilled squid
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| With the right ingredients, Cambodian grilled squid becomes more appealing than ever. |
In the coastal areas of Cambodia, tourists will find many stalls selling this dish. Squid is marinated in lime juice or fish sauce, then skewered onto bamboo sticks before being grilled, and served with soy sauce, Kampot pepper, garlic, chili, lime, and sugar.
9. Cha houy teuk: jelly dessert
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| Simple and popular, yet the refreshing sweetness of this dish is undeniably appealing. |
While familiar to Vietnamese people, this dish remains a favorite among tourists due to its incredibly rich flavors, derived from red beans, taro, pumpkin, and jackfruit. Importantly, coconut milk is an essential ingredient in this dish.
10. Fried fish on a flaming plate.
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| This special dish is only served on special occasions. |
This dish is often featured at festivals or special occasions. Fried fish served with coconut milk curry, yellow kroeung (a type of chili pepper), and chili peppers is placed on a large plate. Vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage are cooked with the curry. This dish is usually served with rice or noodles.
