Travelogue from Cambodia: Culinary Cambodia

In September 2019, our colleague Anne visited Cambodia for the first time. Read about her experiences with Cambodian cuisine below.

“What do they actually eat in Cambodia?”

Several people asked me this question when I told them about my impending trip to Cambodia. And it’s probably quite an important question if you follow a special diet or if you’re allergic or hypersensitive to specific foods.

Cambodia is located between Thailand and Vietnam, which is why the local cuisine is also influenced by these countries. You will find fried rice, fried noodles, fresh or deep-fried spring rolls and fish dishes at the coast.

The national dish is “Amok”, which can be made with fish, beef or chicken. The meat is served with chopped vegetables and a delicious coconut curry sauce. Cambodians generally eat rice with their meals, though noodles and potatoes can be found in Western-inspired dishes.

Rice is an important staple. It can even be bought as a snack at the roadside. In one of the dishes, a rice/coconut pulp with beans is pressed into a piece of bamboo and then grilled over an open fire. You can also eat crispy rice as crisps.

The food tasted really good everywhere we went. In tourist areas such as Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, there is, of course, a wider choice of restaurants and dishes than in rural areas. But the food here was also good and freshly prepared.

For dessert, I recommend “sticky rice” with coconut and mango.

As far as drinks are concerned, I recommend fresh fruits such as mango, papaya, banana or lime. The fruit is served as a juice, lemonade or shake. I especially liked the fresh coconuts.

Dairy products, such as yoghurt and cheese, are served on the hotel’s breakfast buffets in tourist areas, but they are not like the products we get at home.

If you want to try something completely new, you should check out the street kitchens, where you will find fried grasshoppers, spiders, frogs or cooked snails.

As a guide aptly explained, the Cambodians eat everything except the fork, spoon and chopsticks!

Anne, TourCompass