The road journal · Cambodia stop
Squeezed between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodian cooking is the quietest in the region, yet it has its own voice: herbal, fermented, sweet and savoury, never harsh.
Contents
Before sitting down
In Khmer, 'to eat' literally means 'to eat rice'. Rice is the base; soups, stir-fries and grilled fish are shared around it.
The Mekong and the Tonlé Sap lake supply both rice and freshwater fish, the two pillars of the cuisine.
Kroeung is a pounded paste of lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, makrut lime, garlic and shallot, in yellow, green or red versions.
It brings depth without heat: chilli usually comes on the side.
The pantry
A few ingredients shape almost every Cambodian dish.
Add tamarind, lime, fresh herbs and coconut milk, and you have the whole Khmer palette.
Amok trey is a fish curry steamed in a banana-leaf cup, halfway between sauce and custard:
Soft, fragrant and eaten with plain rice. Home versions are often cooked in a pot, more liquid.
The street, dawn to night
Much of Cambodia eats outdoors on low stools. Three dishes set the rhythm.
Marinated pork grilled over embers, on broken rice with pickles and a small broth.
Rice noodles in a light pork broth, seasoned at the table with lime, chilli and herbs.
When night markets light up, woks take over, with Khmer seasoning: fish sauce, palm sugar, pepper.
Cambodia is eaten on a stool味わう道
Marinated beef cubes seared in a wok, served on salad with rice and often a fried egg.
Its signature is tuk meric: lime juice, salt and crushed Kampot pepper.
Journal tip: mix lime juice, salt and pepper at home — it suits grilled fish too.
Broths and noodles
Samlor kako is a vegetable soup with green kroeung, prahok and toasted rice powder; samlor machu is the sour, tamarind-based family.
Num banh chok, 'Khmer noodles', pairs fresh rice noodles with a light green fish curry and raw vegetables.
A sweet ending
Coconut, sticky rice and palm sugar rule Khmer sweets.
Order several dishes and share. Use the herbs, pickles and sauces on the table: they finish the dish.
And on the Asian Road route
Sweet on one side, savoury on the other, never in between.
Asian Road is not a Cambodian restaurant: it is Southeast Asian street food with no fixed country, in central Aix-en-Provence.
From Cambodia, the road kept a flavour line: sweet and savoury caramel lifted with pepper, served from the wok in a box you build yourself.
To see what the road keeps from this stop, visit the Cambodia stop.
FAQ
Further reading
Cambodia is just one stop. The rest of the journey is in the journal.
Keep on the road
