#Cambodian Cuisine

[morethansalad]

Cambodian Fried Pounded Rice With Bananas (Vegan)

[sophealy]

គេងស្តាប់ស្នូរសម្លេងទឹកភ្លៀង Rain,Weather

[thepanvelite]

Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Cambodia: A Comprehensive Travel Guide

Cambodia, rich in history and natural beauty, offers Angkor Wat, serene islands, and vibrant cities. It's a must-visit destination for all.

Cambodia, a country steeped in history and brimming with natural beauty, offers an enchanting journey for the discerning traveler. Beyond the iconic Angkor Wat, this Southeast Asian gem reveals a tapestry of lesser-known temples, floating villages, and serene islands that beckon exploration. Best Time to Visit The ideal time to visit Cambodia is during the dry season from November to April1.…

[adlertours]

Explore the Wonders of Cambodia

#ExploretheWondersofCambodia Package Highlights: #AngkorWat Tour : Visit the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat, a #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite. Cultural Immersion : Immerse yourself in Cambodia’s rich culture and traditions. Explore #Nature : Discover the stunning landscapes and natural beauty of #Cambodia #LocalCuisine : Indulge in delicious #Cambodiancuisine and culinary…

[hungrytravellers]

Seven Sultry Days In Siem Reap

[lionheartlr]

Discover Cambodia: A Comprehensive Travel Guide

Cambodia, a gem in Southeast Asia, is a land of ancient temples, vibrant culture, and resilient spirit. From the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat to bustling markets in Phnom Penh, Cambodia offers a rich tapestry of experiences for every traveler. Brief History Cambodia’s history dates back to the early kingdoms of Funan and Chenla, which later gave rise to the Khmer Empire in the 9th century. The…

[butterytenaciousbird]

Cambodian Tapioca-Banana Pudding Recipe I learned how to make this Cambodian dish from a friend who is Cambodian-American. Even my breakfast will consist of it! It tastes great warm, can be adorned with additional fruit, and is also a cooling cold dessert. 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 5 medium ripe bananas sliced, 7 cups water divided, 1/4 teaspoon salt

[patchesjam]

okay I'm joining the food talk. I cannot cook to save my life and Indonesian food where I'm from some of them requires time and effort that I didn't have! I think we're famous for our fried rice and beef rendang which is all delicious of course but I'm used to buy nasi pecel in the morning because it's everywhere which is like basically rice with vegetables drenched in peanut sauce and toppings of you're choosing. I usually eat it with this spicy eggs and tofu it's really good. I love to eat soto which is like chicken soup I think but it's yellow (in some area it's clear but it tasted bland to me) and I don't really know how to describe it but I really like it! I like eating martabak too, one of the most delicious street food ever. I can gush about our foods but like I think this is some of my top favorites

i have literally never had indonesian food but now i really wanna try ive heard of that yellow soup thing tho it looks very nice and omg matabak is another pancake like thing (?) vaguely? its amazing how any different places have local iterations of the same vague food type

[thephilosopheroftheboudoir]

Cooking and eating cow head curry

[southeastasianists]

In 1960, Princess Samdech Preah Reach Kanitha Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana published one of the first definitive texts on her country’s cuisine. L'Art de la cuisine cambodgienne, or The Culinary Art of Cambodia, was an extensively researched, beautifully illustrated tome years in the making. It came at a pivotal moment, just seven years after Cambodia declared independence, when the nation was fighting to codify an identity beyond that of its former French-colonial rulers.

Only a few years after the princess’s death in 1971, civil war ripped Khmer society apart. The Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Prime Minister Pol Pot, purged Cambodia’s artists and intellectuals, along with records that detailed much of what came before “Year Zero” on April 17, 1975. Copies of The Culinary Art of Cambodia all but vanished.

Nearly half a century later, Rotanak Ros, better known as Chef Nak, has dedicated her career to preserving and reclaiming thousands of years of Khmer culinary history. After leaving her position at a nonprofit organization in 2017, Ros traveled throughout the Cambodian countryside documenting recipes from home cooks that culminated in her 2019 cookbook, Nhum: Recipes from a Cambodian Kitchen.

For her second work, Saoy: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine, Ros turned her lens from home cooking to the lofty kitchens of the Khmer palace at the height of its influence. Saoy roughly translates to “dining in a royal setting” and the recipes here are the kind that might have once been served at state dinners. Princess Rasmi Sobbhana—a highly educated, fiercely independent maverick who met with President John F. Kennedy, refused to marry, and spent her life advocating for women—became something of a personal inspiration for the project. While the recipes in Ros’s work have all been thoroughly tested for a modern audience, the book is very much an homage to this powerful figure in Khmer history.

Gastro Obscura spoke with Ros about unpacking the essence of a cuisine, cooking with flowers, and the unlikely series of events that landed an original copy of the princess’s manuscript in her possession.

What drove you to shift your focus to the cookbook space?

My first cookbook came from a dream to share what I know, as well as to answer a question that I used to be asked: “What is Cambodian food?” After all these years, I still don’t have the answer, but hopefully the book helps explain some of it. It’s just so hard when you want to know about who you are in terms of what you ate if you don’t have anything to use as a reference. I thought that if I didn’t do anything about it, then the next generation of Cambodians would have nothing to show them that this is what we ate.

What inspired your second cookbook, Saoy?

A woman reached out after the first article [about my work] in The New York Times. In the email, she wrote that she used to live in Cambodia between 1970 and ’72. She was the daughter of the ambassador to Cambodia. And she remembers her mother producing a book that was written by Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana. She wrote [The Culinary Art of Cambodia,] a cookbook of recipes she’d been collecting over the years from different members of the royal family. She wrote a book in Khmer and also another book in French and in English.

What do we know about the princess?

She was one of the aunties of our late king [Norodom Sihanouk]. A few things that I learned about her is that she never married. She devoted her life to lifting up women’s education, as well as to cooking and promoting [Khmer] cuisine. She really wanted to spread her cuisine to the world. She was able to do that with the support from the US Ambassador.

At that time, I thought that women in Cambodia were not taught to read or write, and I was wrong about that. But also I realized I was not the first one to start this journey to understand Cambodian cuisine. She devoted her life to this and this book is dedicated to her legacy. But it’s also a part of our culture and history.

What insights does the text offer into life in the Khmer palace?

It shows very different ways of cooking and ways of using ingredients. It also shows the influences of different cultures. So for example, in the book, Sobbhana stated very clearly that in the palace, they cooked French, Thai, Chinese, and Indian cuisines. The royal palace is a place that greets and serves people who come from other parts of the world to visit Cambodia.

Even the dancers, they danced different dances depending on where visitors came from. One of the daughters of the king, she danced more than the Khmer classical dance. She danced Mongolian, Chinese, Burmese dances depending who visited us and where she paid a visit to.

For me, I keep it the way it is, because I would like to honor the decisions of Sobbhana and also it’s part of the history. Also, I want to celebrate the differences, the varieties. No one and no culture exists in isolation. Everyone is influenced by each other.

Were there any French-colonial influences evident in Princess Sobbhana’s dishes?

A few dishes would use butter or milk to cook rice. In some recipes, instead of using cream or butter, she would use coconut cream to soak part of a baguette and then with the steamed or mashed chicken liver, then she would bake it with an egg white that had been whipped until foamy. So she would use some of the [French] ingredients and techniques, but then she would make them her own.

For example, the steamed chicken liver is very in the style of foie gras. But then she would make a sauce with fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and a little chili. How would you imagine these two things together? But when they are with each other—foie gras is very rich and this sauce on the side is very fragrant. They balance each other out.

What was surprising to you in your research here?

For more than five years, I’ve spent most of my time, energy, and money trying to bring back the forgotten flavors of Cambodia. I’ve gone around the country talking to elderly people to try and dig out the textures and flavors that they still remember. But the process of making this book showed me that there are so many things we didn’t know about [Cambodian cuisine].

For example, I never knew that we used clove or fennel seeds or coriander in our cuisine many years ago. Initially, I thought these were international influences, but the more I learned, it’s written in very old Cambodian recipes. [Spices] had their own specific names. Like “clove” is klampu. When I first read the name in Khmer, I had no idea what klampu was. This is just one example of how what I thought I knew is small compared to what I don’t know.

In Cambodia we have a long mountain range called the Cardamom mountains, but I think at least 95 percent of Khmer don’t know what to do with cardamom. We had to journey to different parts of the country to understand Cambodian cardamom, which looks totally different from the one from India.

The other thing I learned about is that there are so many different ways of using flowers in our cuisine. So for instance, instead of using room temperature water in the cakes or desserts, Sobbhana uses rose water or jasmine water in the dough. Things could be very simple, but they make it in a way that’s on another level.

What is one recipe that stands out to you from your research?

There’s one recipe for “white pearl soup.” It tastes almost like congee, but it’s made with tapioca pearls. That soup really stands out in my mind. It’s very much comfort food. It looks simple, but there’s a lot of work behind it. The broth takes five or six hours to make.

That brings up a good point: Since these recipes were written for royalty, just how complicated are they?

Some soups can look very simple, but just the process of making the paste can take four people three hours to make. The paste contains 15 different ingredients that have to go through being thinly sliced, then sun-dried, then pounded, then sautéed again.

Of course, in the palace, they had people there to prep for the cooking. And I think that’s what makes it different from our day-to-day cooking. According to Ambassador Julio [ A. Jeldres], who was very close to our late king, who wrote one of the forewords in the books, everything needed to be prepared properly and took a lot of time.

Why does it feel so important to you to correct the narrative of what Cambodian food is? Why do you want the world to know about some of these recipes?

We as a people are struggling to really accept who we are. To know that these kinds of ingredients are being used here and there—we used to think we were copying this or that other country, but we had that knowledge a long time ago. It’s a fight that I have to fight. But it’s also a fight that is worth it to reintroduce these ideas and ingredients back.

[gudaho]

my tiktok elites:

mr. patrick, a black man teaching english in japan who has a class of students giggling everytime he says "show you"

sister minnie, a spoiled cat whose owner rhymes a lot. "big iblis" origin

fishingarrett, guy you cannot believe is still alive because he is in the florida everglades yoinking wildlife at night

uyen ninh, vietnamese woman who vlogs about her cultural experiences in germany (how depressed the food makes her)

blondie in china, like uyen ninh but a white lady (and the food makes her happy)

leafy street, reptile keeper who keeps showing his feet in the goddamn videos

Lawyer B. Douglas II, goth guy

sovannascooking, cambodian woman sharing traditional cuisine

[morethansalad]

Thai & Cambodian-Inspired Vegan Baby Corn & Baby Carrot Curry

[kithtaehyung]

Ryen, I haven't read the Satsuma teaser yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it! Okay so I don't think I sent this ask I meant to send bc I fell asleep lmao and Tumblr's ask timed out (?) 😂 🙄

Last year I had to create an e-commerce website. I chose to do an Asian fusion restaurant that did online takeout that mostly featured Korean and Cambodian cuisines. And guess who the executive chef was?? None other than Min Yoongi. He was world renowned with multiple restaurants and James Beard awards 😂. One other employee was named Bora Hae 🤪.

Wanted to share this bc of Satsuma 🤪

Hope you're having a great start to your week 💞

- 🌺

AHH hibiscus that’s amazing! What a creative idea and the Korean and Cambodian cuisine?? Holy hell why isn’t this real😭 I’m gonna say you manifested it to be real in another universe lmfao that Min Yoongi is yet another extraordinaire there, too!!

Bora Hae got me💀 also? I love this little tidbit about you🥺 thank you for sharing and feel free to share any food related or cooking related things! Clearly I’m in the mood😂 still working on the story a little bit before knocking out and hopefully dreaming about this Yoongi ahahaha

[elina-scstudyabroad]

First stop on our spring break trip was Cambodia! To be honest the country was not the first thing you may think of when you consider traveling the charming Southeast of Asia but I am more than grateful I had the chance to visit this country with such a rich and troubling history and I truly feel like I learned the most during my time here.

We started our trip in the capital city, Phnom Penh which presents a contrasting landscape that reflects the country's complex history and current socioeconomic conditions. As you explore the city, you'll witness a mix of bustling streets, modest neighborhoods, and pockets of modern development. The main and cheapest means of transportation for tourists are tuktuks and I noticed that there are almost no rules (or at least none followed) on the streets. At some point or driver even casually started driving on the wrong side of the street into oncoming traffic. In terms of infrastructure and urban planning, Phnom Penh may not boast the gleaming skyscrapers and polished cityscapes of other Asian capitals but it showcases its history. While there are some pockets of affluence, it's true that poverty and inequality are evident in certain areas of the city. The local markets showcase the daily struggles and entrepreneurial spirit of the people, with vendors selling everything from fresh produce to clothing and household goods. These markets can be crowded and chaotic, but they offer a glimpse into the realities of everyday life for many Cambodians.

Some interesting places we got to see where the national museum as well as the royal palace. We also did a cruise on the river to see more of the city by the shore.

You quickly come to realize that Phnom Penh bears the scars of a turbulent past, particularly during the Khmer Rouge regime, and remnants of that era can be seen at sites like the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields. These places offer somber reminders of the atrocities that took place and evoke a sense of reflection and solemnity. I highly recommend purchasing the audio guide for another $3 because it does a fantastic job at making you feel the sorrow of the place and how it still affects Cambodia today and allows you to empathize with the victims.

Phnom Penh does have a growing dining scene, where you can find a range of local and international cuisines to suit various tastes and budgets. From street food stalls serving Khmer delicacies to restaurants offering a fusion of flavors, there are options available to explore and savor the local culinary offerings. While Phnom Penh may not offer a glitzy and extravagant nightlife scene, there are establishments where locals and tourists alike gather to unwind and socialize. Riverside bars and cruises offer a chance to relax and enjoy the picturesque views along the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers.

It's important to approach a visit to Phnom Penh with an open mind and an understanding that Cambodia is still in the process of development and recovery especially with its government. The locals that we had the opportunity of speaking with are very aware of the faults in their system but they recognize the growth their country is going through. By embracing the city's complexities and engaging with its history and people, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the challenges and triumphs that have shaped Phnom Penh into what it is today.

[carnihell]

@king-of-wrath continued from X.

“WONDERFUL!” He snaps his fingers, and a rather old, rather old looking book, absolutely full to bursting with pages of various shapes and sizes, appears in his hands, and he begins to flip through it eagerly. “Ohhh, so many options, what to choose first..” He points a claw toward Satan eagerly, grinning widely. “Tell me, what kinds of human cuisine are you familiar with? Japanese? Korean? Chinese? German? Greek? Vietnamese? Cambodian? Russian? Hungarian? Mexican? Italian?”

[radio-charlie]

Twin cities food was actually very good. when i first went there it was like jesus christ this is gonna be a slog culinarily speaking, place looks like its out in the middle of nowhere. but yea thanks to diaspora, very delicious thai, cambodian, ethiopian food, and some of the pizzas and contemporary american cuisine were good too