Khmer Cuisine – What to eat in Cambodia?

Originally based on rice and fish, Khmer cuisine has evolved throughout history, incorporating various foreign influences (Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese, etc.) while learning to make the most of its local produce. Today, with its jasmine rice Pka Malis, three times named the best rice in the world, and Kampot pepper, now a staple on the world’s most prestigious tables, Cambodian cuisine skillfully combines a variety of ingredients to create delicious specialties.  

Ingredients in Cambodian Cuisine

Rice remains omnipresent and is consumed in many forms: steamed, sticky, fried, in sauces, or even in soups. It is also used to make noodles and vermicelli. 

Whether fresh or dried, fish from the Tonle Sap Lake, the Mekong River, and other waterways, as well as the sea, is also a central ingredient. One cannot miss tasting Amok Trei (fish curry with coconut milk seasoned with spices and cooked in a banana leaf), which is considered the national dish.

Cambodian cuisine also includes chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and crabs from both the sea and rice fields. Vegetables are served both cooked and raw, with young shoots, leaves, fruits, and flowers featuring in many recipes. The king of Khmer condiments is Prahoc, a very special (and pungent) fermented fish paste. Other dishes are often flavored with chili, herbs, tamarind, ginger, mint, lemongrass, and are usually accompanied by sauces served separately in small bowls (ground pepper and lime, sweet sauce with crushed peanuts, etc.).  

Three main meals and snacks

The Cambodian breakfast is quite hearty. Instead of a bowl of coffee, you’ll enjoy Katiev Sack Kho (noodles with beef), Bai Sach Chrouk (rice with sautéed pork), or Borbor (rice porridge served with fish or chicken). 

For lunch and dinner, you’ll have an array of options to satisfy your appetite. Salads are a festival of flavors, heavily featuring fresh vegetables and herbs. Let yourself be charmed by the taste of Phlea Sach Ko—a combination of mint, lemongrass, and coriander with strips of beef marinated in lime juice.

The variety of soups is incredible, with many being served by street vendors at any time of day. Sngor Tchruk Trei, Maon or Sach Kor (fish, chicken, or beef soup with rice and lemongrass), Samla Machou (water spinach soup seasoned with tamarind and saffron, with fish and fresh chili), or Samla Chapek (pork soup with ginger) are must-try dishes.

Among the specialties, we recommend Trei Aing (grilled fish served with lettuce, cucumber, and herbs), Maon Tim (chicken stuffed with vermicelli, minced pork, and pepper), or *Bai Chha* (Khmer-style "fried rice"). If you're staying near the coast, in places like Kep or Sihanoukville, indulge in a feast of Kdam Cha (stir-fried crab with green pepper) and Ang Dtray-Meuk (grilled squid).

Dessert at the end of the meal is not a Cambodian tradition. Cakes and sweets are mainly found during festive meals, as offerings, or eaten as snacks throughout the day. Street vendors sell Akaos (glutinous rice dumplings with palm sugar or mixed with milk and shredded coconut). Ansoamchek (glutinous rice rolls stuffed with banana and coconut) are also popular, as are a variety of fritters, cakes, pancakes, and jellies, collectively known as Bang Em (pastries and sweets), available at every street corner.

Of course, tropical fruits accompany the day. Jackfruit, pineapple, dragon fruit, passion fruit, mango, mangosteen, sapodilla, green oranges, lychees, and even durian, with its rather unpleasant smell, can be enjoyed whole or sliced, as well as in juices.

Cambodians typically have three meals a day, but they also snack throughout the day. Markets and city streets are filled with street food stalls, carts, and booths offering fried foods, dried fish and meats, soups, small skewers, and peeled fruits.

If you’re adventurous enough to try everything, don’t hesitate to taste some very peculiar specialties such as grilled insects (spiders, crickets, beetles…) or even duck embryos.

Finally, if this list—far from exhaustive—does not whet your appetite, rest assured that the main tourist destinations in Cambodia (cities and beach resorts) host many restaurants offering international cuisines (Italian, French, Thai, Japanese, etc.).