Joanna James
Cambodia's gorgeous resort town, Siem Reap, has a fascinating culture shaped by French and Chinese people. This is evident in its cuisine, which has gifted the town with a variety of dishes.
This is fermented fish, which doesn't sound appealing, but it is a paste of fish that's used in a variety of Cambodian dishes to bring out their best flavour. The fish dried in the sun for about a day, which is the initial step of the fermentation process. Once it's dried, it's mixed with rice, garlic, and sugar and blended together, making it a paste. This paste will sit on a shelf in the kitchen for months before it's used. Every eatery, including the best restaurants in Siem Reap, uses this delicious concoction to flavour their dishes.
As the name suggests, Amok Fish is fish curry. The fish used in this curry is catfish. Without the fish, Amok is just curry that you can eat with rice or bread. The addition of fish makes it a fish curry. Apart from the fish, the dish contains galangal, prahok, coconut milk, salt, garlic, chilli, and lemongrass. Its creamy texture makes a delightful winter dish, but you can enjoy it any time you like. Every Cambodian eatery, including places offered by FCC Angkor by Avani, serves this delicious Cambodian delight.
This is a Cambodian savoury dish you can enjoy with a scoop of rice. Lok Lak is stir-fried beef, but there's more to it. The beef is marinated in a special sauce made of pepper, oyster sauce, lemon, and fish sauce. Lok Lak is served with a combination of other food items like lettuce, onions, tomato, and cucumber. Beef is usually the main ingredient, but most restaurants would be willing to use tofu, pork, or chicken.
Just like Prahok, Prahok Ktiss is a condiment. This is actually a dipping sauce that you can enjoy with snacks. The difference between Prahok and Prahok Ktiss is the type of ingredients used. For Prahok Ktiss, minced pork or pork belly is used. Coconut milk and eggplants are two other ingredients that lend it its not-so-strong but savoury flavour.
Cambodians have unique ways of cooking, and bamboo sticky rice is one unique dish you should try on your holiday. To make this delicious and filling dish, Cambodians pack rice into bamboo sticks. The stalks of bamboo filled with rice are then placed over hot coals and cooked for about an hour.
This is ceviche with a Cambodian twist. The main two ingredients are thinly sliced raw beef and copious amounts of lime juice. Lap Khmer is a salad, so there is an array of other ingredients used in the dish, and they include mint, garlic, fish sauce, shallots, and lemongrass. Lap Khmer is often paired with rice, but some locals like to enjoy it by itself with a sprinkling of chilli. If the idea of eating raw meat doesn't appeal to you, you can opt for grilled beef.
Every tourist visiting Siem Reap must try Khmer cakes. These are an absolute delight that will turn the grimmest day into a happy one. The cakes are topped with fruits, and the inside is soft and mushy with sweet and savoury flavours. Take one bite of this delicious dessert item, and you'll be converted into a Cambodian food lover!
Although it's called Khmer Red Curry, it's not spicy at all. The colour red comes from the curry paste used. The paste is made of lime zest, turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass. Fish, chicken, and beef are the main components of this delicious curry. Often served on a bed of rice, Khmer Red Curry is an ideal choice for those who want to try curry for the first time.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
