Cuisine Culture of Cambodia - Extremely Delicious Street Food

If you've fallen in love with Cambodia, you surely can't overlook its incredibly unique culinary culture. Let's explore more about the distinctive features in Cambodian cuisine as well as the top 10 street foods you must try when visiting Cambodia!

1. Insights into Cambodian Cuisine Culture

Every country carries its unique characteristics influenced by geography, regions, ethnicities, and people. Hence, culinary cultures also have differences that you can't find elsewhere. Cambodia is no exception. If you've ever tasted Cambodian food and want to seek recipes, it seems almost impossible. Most cooking secrets are passed down through generations within families and carefully preserved. Therefore, Cambodian culinary culture is famous for its rich traditional heritage.

Cambodia is a culinary paradise for Asian food lovers

2. Top 10 Can't-Miss Cambodian Street Foods

The staple foods of Cambodians are rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, and taro. With convenient geographical location for fishing, freshwater fish is also a major food source for the locals. When you visit Cambodia, don't miss out on the street food scene with these top 10 dishes!

2.1 Yaohon

While hotpot is a common dish in many countries, Cambodian hotpot stands out with its rich, sweet, and coconut-flavored broth, boiled chicken broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime leaves, lemongrass, and, notably, palm sugar. Accompanying vegetables usually include cabbage, morning glory, mushrooms, along with beef, chicken, shrimp, squid, clams, and quail eggs.

Enjoy the typical Yaohon hot pot flavor only found in Cambodia

2.2 Samlor kako

A traditional Cambodian soup made from various vegetables depending on personal preferences or seasonal availability such as pumpkin, green banana, papaya, eggplant, beans, combined with roasted rice, catfish, pork, or chicken, along with herbs. In Khmer, "samlor" means soup, and "kako" means mix or stir. The dish is cooked over low heat until soft, creating a harmonious blend of fresh vegetables with unique preparation methods.

2.3 Bai sach chrouk

A popular dish in Cambodian culinary culture consisting of a plate of white rice, several slices of grilled pork or chicken, and fish cakes. The meat is usually marinated with delicious fish sauce and palm sugar, then slowly grilled over charcoal. It's often enjoyed with pickled cucumbers and ginger in Mekong fish sauce. Cambodians often start their day with Bai sach chrouk.

2.4 Fish Amok trey

This is one of the must-try dishes when it comes to Cambodian cuisine. The dish is made from fish, shrimp, or chicken mixed with coconut milk and typical Cambodian spices, then steamed in banana leaves to retain moisture, with a sweet, mildly spicy, and distinctive aroma from fresh banana leaves.

2.5 Num pang

While Vietnam is famous for its street banh mi, Cambodia has its own version called "Num pang." The dish is made from butter, pate, mayonnaise sauce, chili, papaya salad, pork, accompanied by fish sauce and soy sauce, all sandwiched in a delicious flatbread.

2.6 Samlor kari

This is a traditional Khmer curry dish that Cambodians have preserved until now. The dish consists of chicken, creamy coconut sauce, typical Cambodian "kroeung" sauce, shrimp paste, delicious fish sauce, and palm sugar. It can be served with purple sweet potatoes, onions, bamboo shoots, carrots, beans, and morning glory.

2.7 Stir-fried beef with ants

Although the ingredients may sound strange at first, this is a specialty in Cambodian cuisine. Ants are a rich food source, stir-fried with beef, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and spring onions. When eaten, the distinctive sour taste from ants blends into the tender beef, suitable for eating with white rice to balance the flavors.

2.8 Nom banh chok

Also known as Khmer rice noodle soup - a must-try dish in Cambodian cuisine. The noodles are served with rich broth, accompanied by raw vegetables: mint, bean sprouts, banana flower, and cucumber.

2.9 Insect dishes

Cambodia seems to be the country with the most "creepy" dishes in the world, especially specialties from insects: ants, crickets, spiders, and even scorpions... For Cambodians, insects are a characteristic and delicious ingredient, indispensable on the tables of gentlemen. Dare to indulge in these delicious and nutritious dishes!

2.10 Palm wine

Cambodia is famous for its high-quality palm groves, so Cambodians have created a specialty palm wine - often appearing in feasts with a strong cultural flavor of Cambodian cuisine. With a light fermentation, creating a pleasant sweet and sour taste, diners can immediately feel it on the tip of their tongues. The light wine is suitable for both men and women to experience.

3. Where to Experience Authentic Cambodian Street Food?

3.1 Malis Restaurant

Address: 136 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Malis Restaurant specializes in Asian cuisine and Cambodian culinary specialties. Located in a tourist area, the restaurant offers outdoor seating for guests to enjoy the Cambodian atmosphere. The restaurant serves three meals a day, from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

3.2 Khmer Borane Restaurant

Address: 389 Siscowath Quay, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Khmer Borane Restaurant is decorated in traditional Cambodian style and offers popular Cambodian dishes - a place that truly embodies Cambodian culinary culture. With a menu featuring over a hundred dishes, tourists can comfortably choose and experience a variety of Cambodian cuisine. This is the most famous restaurant in Phnom Penh for insect dishes prepared by grilling, frying, and stir-frying.

3.3 Topaz Restaurant

Address: #182 Boulevard Norodom, Sangkat Tonle Basak, Khan Chamcar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

For a more upscale option, Topaz Restaurant is the choice. With relatively expensive prices, the space here is extremely luxurious with Western-style design. Cambodian dishes are cleverly prepared with rare ingredients, offering delicious and unique European-inspired flavors.

With these culinary suggestions from Vietjet, are you ready to "pack your bags and go" to Cambodia? Vietjet operates many flights to Cambodia at extremely attractive prices, making it easy for you to fully experience Cambodian culinary culture - exclusively here. Additionally, don't miss the opportunity to "hunt" for Vietjet flight tickets to Cambodia for just 0 Vietnamese dong every Friday.