There is one thing you cannot
skip through when you decide to go on a trip to Cambodia; it is about enjoying the
native food and drink. Cambodians generally love a stronger sour taste in their
dishes, and do not have a taste for spicy hot food, and black pepper is the
preferred choice in cooking instead of chilli peppers which are usually served
on the side. As for Cambodia
natural conditions, which have the Tonle
Sap Lake,
fish is a main distinctive dish in this country. You should not leave Cambodia
without testing their flavor.
The most famous Cambodian dish is
amok.
It is usually made with chicken, fish, or shrimp, plus some vegetables. Usually,
fish is baked with coconut milk and lemongrass is wrapped in banana leaves.
Amok is sometimes served in a hollowed-out coconut with rice on the side. This
is somehow similar to Thai curried dish, but a little less spicy. Certainly,
you will not forget this delicious flavor.
Another well-known dish is prahok
– a fermented Khmer fish paste - which is usually eaten with rice. The
salty paste is used to flavor most dishes, with coconut and lemongrass making
regular cameos. It is highly recommended to taste the fried prahok, which is usually mixed with meat (usually beef or
pork) and chilli. It can also be eaten as a dip, accompanied by fresh green
vegetables like cucumbers or eggplants, and rice. If you are a great believer
in fermented food, you should give it a try.
You should not leave Cambodia
without trying sarch chrouk (pork meat or beef often skewered or barbecued)
and lok
lak (chopped up beefsteak). Sarch chrouk is a favored snack, a blend of
beef infused with lemongrass, sugar and salt, grilled over hot flames and
served with pickled salads of papaya and cucumber. Lok lak is slightly French
style affected. It is served with a simple dipping sauce made from lime juice
and black pepper, lettuce, onion, and often with chips. These two flavors are
quite popular and may satisfy almost all tastes.
It is also worth a try to taste
the
somlah
machou khmae – a soup which is the basis of every meal. It is a
sweet-and-sour mixed flavor soup made with pineapple, tomatoes and fish, which
is quite a delicious and appropriate soup for cooling the summer heat.
After all, you can try some desserts,
which are particularly divine and rice-based, such typically as the krolan.
It is a bamboo flute packed with sticky rice that has been merged together with
coconut and black-eye beans, and then baked upon hot coals.
It is always advisable to arrange your time to try the
local food at least one time whenever you are planning for a trip. If you would
like to get more detail about food and drink in your destination, especially in
Indochina, please visit Threeland Travel Indochina or contact us
at help@threeland.com. We will simply
be your best local friend.
