Traditional

Cambodian Food

That You Must Try During Your Visit

Amok Trey

Considered Cambodia's national dish, its story is inseparable from the country's history, said to have originated from the Khmer Empire that existed since the 9th century. The unique taste of this fish dish is derived from the process of steaming a coconut milk-based curry in banana leaves. The recipe has a medley of fragrant herbs and spices, including lemongrass, turmeric, and kaffir lime leaves.

Key Ingredients:

• Freshwater fish: catfish, snakehead, or goby

• Kroeung (yellow or green curry paste, pounded using a mortar and pestle)

• Coconut milk

• Eggs

• Kaffir lime leaves 

• Noni leaves

• Palm sugar 

• Fish sauce

How it is made: The fish fillets are marinated in green or yellow kroeung. A coconut milk sauce with eggs, palm sugar, and fish sauce is poured over the top before steaming in banana leaf baskets. The most important thing to get right is the pounding and steaming of the kroeung, to get the taste right. 

Num banh chok 

If amok trey is what tourists order, num banh chok is what Cambodians actually eat every morning. Num banh chok is often known simply as ‘Khmer noodles’, because of their sheer popularity. Num banh chok consists of fermented rice noodles hand-made in stone or wooden mills, then topped with fish gravy and raw vegetables such as banana blossom, cucumbers, and water lily stems, along with herbs such as mint and basil.

Key Ingredients:

• Lightly fermented rice noodles, made fresh daily

• Catfish or snakehead fish

• Green kroeung paste (lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, garlic)

• Coconut milk 

• Prahok

• Banana blossom, bean sprouts, long beans, cucumber, and edible flowers

How it is made: The fermentation makes these noodles subtly tangy, complemented by the mildly sweet fish curry. The dish is served with a variety of herbs and vegetables. Regardless of variations, num banh chok always includes the same main staples of fresh hand-prepared rice noodles, a fish-based green curry, and spices, vegetables and herbs.

Kuy Tiev 

Unlike num banh chok, which is quintessentially Khmer and a very old dish, kuy tiev is a Cambodian-Chinese noodle soup that originated in China. It was brought by settlers and absorbed into the local Cambodian culture. It’s a noodle soup consisting of rice noodles with pork stock and toppings, and a popular breakfast dish across all of Cambodia.

Key Ingredients:

• Thin rice noodles

• Long-simmered pork bone broth (with dried squid and sugar)

• Pork belly, minced pork, pork loaf, or seafood as toppings

• Bean sprouts, holy basil, sawtooth coriander, spring onions

• Caramelised garlic oil, lime, Kampot pepper, fish sauce

How it is made: The noodles are dressed with a sticky mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar. The bowl is filled with clear pork broth and topped with multiple meat cuts. The diner can customise their noodle soup further with garnishes of garlic, lime, and pepper.

Yaohon 

Yaohon is a Cambodian hot pot that contains a variety of vegetables, meat, and seafood. The broth is based on a mixture of coconut milk or cream, chicken broth, and coconut soda, typically flavoured with barbecue sauce, fish sauce, soybean curd sauce, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and palm sugar.

Key Ingredients:

• Coconut milk, chicken broth, and coconut soda for the base broth

• Thinly sliced beef, chicken, shrimp, squid, oysters, and mussels

• Watercress, spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, and quail eggs

• Crushed peanuts, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass

• Served alongside rice noodles or steamed rice

Other ingredients featured in this flavour-packed broth include crushed peanuts, quail eggs, and mushrooms. Sweet, spicy, and savoury, yaohon is commonly enjoyed with rice noodles or steamed rice.

Lok Lak

Lok lak is one of the most widely ordered dishes in Cambodia, popular with locals and visitors alike. This Cambodian food is a stir-fry using beef, chicken, or shrimp as the main ingredients, though beef is typically the most popular option. 

Key Ingredients:

• Sirloin or ribeye beef, cut into cubes

• Marinade of soy sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar, garlic, and fish sauce

• Fresh lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and raw onion for the base

• Dipping sauce of fresh lime juice, Kampot pepper, and salt

• Optional fried egg on top

How it is made: A bed of lettuce is topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, raw onions, and stir-fried beef, along with its juices. The dipping sauce is made from lime juice, freshly ground Kampot pepper, and salt that changes the entire dish, adding a light, peppery kick that has become its defining trait.

Kralan

Kralan may be the oldest and most famous food in Cambodia on this list. Originally used as military rations, these snacks provided sustenance for warriors on long campaigns. This is a dessert that is a street food made from sticky rice, red beans, and coconut milk, cooked and served inside a bamboo tube.

Key Ingredients:

• Glutinous sticky rice (soaked beforehand)

• Black-eyed peas or red beans

• Coconut milk, palm sugar, and salt

• Fresh bamboo tubes (approximately 30 cm long)

• Sealed with banana leaves, slow-cooked over charcoal

How it is made: The rice, mixed with black beans, sugar, salt, and coconut milk, is packed into bamboo tubes sealed with banana leaves. These tubes are then roasted over charcoal for hours, infusing the rice with a smoky flavour and a subtle bamboo aroma. The outer bamboo is cracked open to reveal a cylinder of sticky rice that peels away in layers.

A Cuisine that Survived and Endured

Cambodian food has an unmatchable flavour that is not as spicy as that of their neighbouring countries, and on the healthier side, with plenty of fish and seafood thrown into the mix. There’s also rice, coconut, sauces, herbs, palm sugar and a lot of seasonal vegetables that make the Cambodian dishes a must-try. You can stock up on some of their staple ingredients and also try some of these wholesome dishes.