Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Cambodian meal almost always includes a
samlor
(traditional soup), which will ap-
pear at the same time as the other courses.
Samlor machou bunlay
(hot and sour fish soup
with pineapple and spices) is popular.
Much of the fish eaten in Cambodia is freshwater, from the Tonlé Sap lake or the
Mekong River.
Trey ahng
(grilled fish) is a Cambodian speciality (
ahng
means 'grilled'
and can be applied to many dishes). Traditionally, the fish is eaten as pieces wrapped in
lettuce or spinach leaves and then dipped into
teuk trey,
a fish sauce that is a close relative
to Vietnam's
nuoc mam,
but with the addition of ground peanuts.
WE DARE YOU: TOP FIVE
Crickets
Anyone for cricket?
Duck foetus
Unborn duck, feathers and all.
Durian
Nasally obnoxious spiky fruit, banned on flights.
Prahoc
Fermented fish paste, almost a biological weapon.
Spiders
Just like it sounds, deep-fried tarantulas.
Salads
Cambodian salad dishes are popular and delicious, although they're quite different from
the Western idea of a cold salad.
Phlea sait kow
is a beef and vegetable salad, flavoured
with coriander, mint and lemongrass. These three herbs find their way into many Cam-
bodian dishes.
Teuk trey
(fish sauce), one of the most popular condiments in Cambodian cooking, cannot be
taken on international flights, in line with regulations on carrying strong-smelling or corrosive
substances.
Desserts & Fruit
Desserts can be sampled cheaply at night markets around the country. One sweet snack to
look out for is the ice-cream sandwich. Popular with the kids, it involves putting a slab of
homemade ice cream into a piece of sponge or bread.
Cambodia is blessed with many tropical fruits and sampling these is an integral part of
a visit to the country. All the common fruits can be found in abundance, including
chek
