khmer food

Recommended Cambodian Dishes to Try

Fish Amok

Probably the most popular Cambodian dish. This dish is composed of a rich and creamy curry like sauce that is the perfect balance of ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and coconut milk. When cooked correctly, the fish is silky smooth, almost melting in your mouth with each bite. This is usually served wrapped in a banana leaf and isn’t too spicy.

Banana Blossom Salad

This salad can be found in restaurants all over Cambodia and is a refreshing meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day. The banana blossom is stirfried and is topped with garlic, fried shallots, and aromatics like lemon grass. The entire salad is then topped with lime adding a light yet citrusy taste to it.

Lap Khmer (Lime-marinated Khmer beef salad)

This dish is a take on ceviche as they take thin slices of beef which is marinated in lime juice with lots of shallots, garlic, fish sauce, basil, mint, and bell peppers. The whole thing is then topped with lots of chilies. To those that aren’t too big on spice, be warned, this dish almost always comes with a kick! 

Kampot Pepper Crabs

If you head to the coastal town of Kep, you will usually find delicious pepper crabs caught fresh from the sea and cooked in little roadside restaurants. This peppery dish is hot, delicious, and very savory! Although it is popularly served in the seaside coastal towns, you can also find it being served in large cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Red Tree Ants with Beef

Although it seems that this dish came straight from fear factor, it’s not too bad. Essentially, it is a large stir fry using beef, basil, garlic, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, and lots of ants. Yes, you read correctly. Red tree ants of different sizes are mixed with the beef and are topped with chili and served on top of a bowl of white rice. Yum.

Trending Food Tours in Cambodia

If you’re looking to experience Cambodian food first hand while you’re there, check out some of these food tours that we’ve curated. They are the perfect way to really understand more about the cuisine.

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“A typical Cambodian meal would normally consist of a soup, a salad, a main fish dish, vegetables and rice. A Cambodian dessert, normally based on fresh

Typical Khmer Dishes Fish Amok (steamed coconut fish in banana leaves) In the Khmer diet, rice and freshwater fish play big roles because of the abundance of both. Amok is national dish, made from fish, coconut milk and curry paste. All the ingredients are mixed together and put in banana leaf cups with coconut cream on top, then steamed. Another common form is amok chouk – snails with curry steamed in their shells. Best served with a plate of hot rice. Samlor Machu Trey (sweet and sour soup with fish) This dish is popular in many households in Cambodia as it’s not only easy to make but it also has a lovely taste. Its ingredients include fish, garlic, lemongrass, celery, tamarind juice, bean sprouts, pineapple and seasoning with sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Many people also add some fresh green herbs and hot chili pepper on top before serving. Char kroeung Sach Ko (Stir-fried lemongrass beef) This popular Cambodian stir-fry is another common dish found throughout the country. After put beef in the heat oil with garlic, stir fry until the beef become tender. Then add vegetables such as red peppers and onion as well as the kroeung mixture. Kroeung is lemongrass paste which is considered very healthy, made from a variety of Asian herbs such as lemongrass (known to have a benefit in lowering acne and pimples), kaffir lime leaves and galangal. Twa Ko (Cambodian sausage) Twa ko is a Cambodian sausage made from beef or pork and various spices. Just like any good homemade sausage, the authentic Khmer sausage contains at least 20-25% fat. Some prefer to use pork belly as the main ingredient; it definitely serves the purpose well. Twa ko can be enjoyed on its own in barbecued, grilled or pan-fried style or served with steamed rice and fresh vegetables. Nom banh chok (Khmer noodles) Many locals start their day with nom banh chok, a popular dish known as Khmer noodles in English. It consists of rice noodles topped with green fish gravy and lots of fresh vegetables including cucumbers, green beans, mint leaves, banana blossom and bean sprouts. It’s very similar to the Thai dish ‘kanom jeen’. Bai Sach Chrouk (Grilled pork and broken rice) The simple and yummy bai sach chrouk is pork marinated in coconut milk or garlic before slowly grilling, and then served with broken or fractured rice and a small bowl of clear chicken broth as well as some fresh vegetables. As part of the street food culture, it is available everywhere especially in busy neighborhoods. It’s so popular that many middle and upper restaurants also include it on their menus. Try it with iced coffee. It's so delicious!! Kuy teav (Noodle soup) Kuy teav is a noodle soup made from pork or beef stock and rice vermicelli and toppings including bean sprouts and green onions. A variety of meat choices can be added, such as pork, chicken, fish balls and beef as well as seafood. In some places, it’s served alongside sweet, spicy, garlic sauce and a small slice of fresh lime. This is when the real flavours start. Head to the open-air food stalls at any market; you will find kuy teav shops within no time. Lok lak (Stir-fried beef in brown sauce) Lok Lak is a traditional Khmer dish, which is basically stir-fried beef slices (or pork) in a light brown sauce, served with rice and/or green salad and pepper sauce. Most restaurants across the county offer this dish but tastes are varied depending on the chefs and regions.

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