Cambodia is one of the most amazing places in the world for people loving Eastern gastronomy. Cambodian cuisine is influenced by culinary art of neighboring countries, especially India and China. Any dish, cooked in any way,are also very spicy (like Indian food) and fat (like Chinese food). But culinary art of Cambodia still creates their own unique style, impressive enough to please even the most difficult gourmet diners.

1. Amok

Amok is one of the famous delicacies andconsidered as the essence of Khmer Cuisine. This dish brings the full unique flavor of the temple country: the sweetness flavor of jaggery, fatty flavor of coconut water and pohok fish sauce smell faintly, lightly scented with banana leaf that makes acharacteristic flavor.

Ingredients for Amok chicken dish include chicken breasts, coconu, wormwood, mixture of finely minced galangal, turmeric, onion, garlic and lemongrass. When you taste this dish, you must eat slowly to feel full quintessential and wonderful combination of chicken meat and coconut melting in the mouth.

Amoksteamed fish is more gaudy and complicated than Amokchicken. It requires a lot of materials such as fillet snakehead fish (or catfish), coconut milk, duck eggs, jaggery, a little bit of pohok fish sauce, beef and vegetables. Eating a bratwurst, visitors will be attracted by both flavor and fragrant. It’s fleshy taste of fish and duck eggs, and the fat scent of coconut. Let try it when you take a Cambodia tour.

2.Sticky rice (cooked) in bamboo

This is a specialty dish cooked on special occasions like festivals, parties. Process of cooking Cambodian Sticky rice in bamboo is very delicate and meticulous. Selected rice must be extremely delicious and aromatic glutinous rice, put in fresh bamboo tubes (the tree is not old age too, but also not too young) then baked on the bright pink charcoal until smelling fragrant, it means that sticky rice is cooked and can be enjoyed immediately.Cambodians usually mix this dish with peanut or coconut making sticky rice flavor more delicious but not too bored.

3. Insect dishes

Insects are dishes that probably left the most lasting impression and also the most difficult to eat of international visitors coming Cambodia. But they are the best food, the most favorite dishes of the Cambodia. All kinds of insect: ants, fried spiders scorpions … can become the inspiration of the dish full of nutrients. Let’s taste the dish “ants egg omelet”, you will certainly want another plate after eating. Fried spiders dish owns a fat fragrant will definitely conquer your taste. Do not miss that opportunity when arriving Cambodia.

4. Grilled dishes

Cambodia gastronomy is variously processed but baking is still a key source of inspiration fordishes. You will see grilled dishes everywhere, at any bar or restaurants you can find a flaming charcoal fireoutside the door. Do not forget to enjoy the aromatic grilled seafood dishes full of nutrients,exciting bush meat dishes full of baking spices, especially grilled belostomatid dish certainly will not disappoint you.

5. Pohok fish sauce

This is a type of fish sauce cooked following the principle help keeping food longer by kippering. Pohokis made from the best and fresh fish, gut then salted then put in closed cabinets, a few months before putting them out to eat. This is a traditional dish prepared in the culinary life of Cambodians, influential by part of Khmer cuisine culture. Know more about fish sauce in Khmer food? View this link

6. Nam Vang Rice Noodle – Kuyteav

(Noodle with seasoned and saute’ beef)

Nam Vang ka tieu is originated from Cambodia, but by the Chinese process, the main material is dried noodles, the broth is minced meat cooked with pig hearts. Then put noodle intobroth then use withauxiliary materials asbean sprouts and shallots. Kuyteav is considered as the dish that anyone travelling Cambodia should enjoy. Depending on each person’s taste, can be replaced pork heart by shrimp, crab, squid … but necessarily using minced meat. Unlike Chinese kuy teav, Nam Vang rice noodles soups owns sweet taste of quite distinctive minced meat.

Overcoming hundreds of kilometers to Cambodia in a few days, you will lose 70% worth of the trip if you don’t enjoy these above dishes. Cambodia cuisine has similarities with some neighboring countries, but stillkeep their own characteristics making visitors feel excited. Come here, let enjoy yourself a little sweet taste of jaggery, salty taste of fish sauce, fleshy fat taste of duck eggs, a little strange taste of insect dishes…really so wonderful, all prove that you are in Cambodia.