10 MUST TRY local street food in your best holiday to Cambodia

Cambodia attracts visitors not only with ancient temples that contain many stories about history and culture but also its "food heaven" so rich in delicious dishes. Cambodian cuisine has a long history and under the influence of its neighboring countries. It has lots of spices, rice, or noodles and is rich in flavors and nutrients. Typically, a Cambodian meal has three or four little dishes, served with rice and a soup alongside the main dishes. The most signature ingredients are fish sauce and mam (fermented seafood), giving the dishes a very distinct and strong flavor.

Here are some kinds of street foods you must savor while your holiday in Cambodia.

1.    Num Pang Pate (Cambodian Sandwiches)

Num Pang is the word both for bread and for this type of sandwich because they are essentially synonymous in cuisine. It is similar to banh mi in Vietnam as both of them are a legacy of the French. However, it has been varied to fit local tastes including a local style Kampot pepper, pork pate, an imitation butter dressing, and the addition of bright herbs, green papaya salads, fresh pickles, and punchy chili sauce. 

2.    Nom Banh Chok (Khmer Noodle) 

Coming to Cambodia, you can easily see roadside vendors of Nom Banh Chok smoky. One end of which is a basket of fresh vegetables, including banana blossom, papaya, lotus stem, string beans, water dropwort, a little herb, mint leaves, lemons, and chili. All are covered with large lotus leaves. The other end is a jar of fish gravy, giving off a very attractive aroma. A full bowl of Nom Banh Chok consists of thin noodles topped with fish gravy with the aforementioned vegetables. 

3.    Bai Sach Chrouk/ Sach Kor/ Sach Morn (Grilled or Fried pork/ Beef/ Chicken with rice) 

If you’re looking for something easy to eat as you ease into Cambodian food, try some Bai Sach Chrouk Sach Kor/ Sach Morn. This is grilled / fried pork, beef, or chicken that is marinated in coconut milk or oyster sauce and garlic. This dish can be found everywhere on the streets and is served with rice along with fresh vegetables. The beef is really flavorful and tender due to the coconut milk. Served with it are cucumber and radish, ginger, and a bowl of broth with fresh and fragrant dried onions.

4.    Lort Cha (Cambodian Short Stir-Fried Egg Noodles)

It is believed that Lort Cha is the most popular dish on Cambodian streets. It is stir-fried short noodles with broccoli, beans, chives, and scallions, then mix with beef and finally topped with a fried egg. It tastes sweet and a bit spicy. This could be a perfect lunch while walking around the bustle streets of Phnom Penh or Pub Street in Siem Reap. It is easy to find a Lort Cha food stall which is with a big fry pan and a collection of fresh ingredients making your tasty plate of noodles.

5.    Kralan (Bamboo Sticky rice)

Here is what a vegetarian feels happy about – Kralan or bamboo stick stuffed with sticky rice. Kralan is a type of sticky rice baked in a bamboo tube. In addition to sticky rice, the Khmer also adds peanuts and coconut milk to make sticky rice taste not too satiated. Sticky rice to make Kranlan is fragrant sticky rice - a kind of clean and fragrant sticky rice that the Cambodian countryside cultivates according to Thai techniques, a high-yielding short sticky rice with a fragrant sticky grain and little use of pesticides. 

According to tradition, Kralan is often made and eaten during Chol Chnam Thmay Festival or traditional festival. Nowadays, it is a delicious snack that people can eat whenever, and wherever. It tastes the best right on the day of cooking, since it has coconut milk, it does not keep well beyond two or three days.

6.    Fish Amok

Amok fish dish is not only a traditional dish but also a typical dish of Cambodia. Therefore, when you come to Cambodia, you will have many opportunities to enjoy this delicious dish in luxury restaurants, popular restaurants, or even street stalls. 

‘Amok’ or ‘Mok’ in Cambodian refers to steaming a dish wrapped in banana leaves. The main ingredient of Fish Amok of course be fish, but the fish used is freshwater fish. Fish will be removed from bones, chopped, and mixed with coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce, palm sugar, chili, etc. Fish Amok can also be easily found in neighboring countries, but one unique feature of Cambodian fish amok appeals to tourists is the use of Slok Ngor - local herbs, which adds a distinct and bitter flavor to the dish.

7.    Pong Tea Khon (Balut)

Balut refers to is a dish prepared from a duck egg when the embryo has developed into a shape. This snack can be found in neighboring Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, but the one in Cambodia is kept simple. Instead of being covered with a wide selection of herbs and condiments, only a little garnish is served alongside the duck egg. It is an all-time favorite of local Cambodians as it is nutritious and rich in protein.

8.    Ang Dtray – Meuk

This is a delicious and nutritious dish that you can easily find in coastal cities like Sihanouk or Kep. Fresh squid is caught early then prepared to clean. The squid is marinated with spices such as lemon juice, fish sauce to infuse. When preparing to grill, people will skew the squid on the sticks and bake on charcoal stoves. This dish is served with a unique Cambodian sauce made from garlic, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh chilies.

9.    Fried/ Deep-fried Insects: Unique Cambodia Street Food

In Cambodia, insects were known as food for the poor in the past. Because of poverty, they caught the insects around their places to turn them into a dish in their meal or to drink. Today, deep-dried insects are more and more popular, especially for foreign tourists who come to Cambodia. 

Deep-fried insects in Cambodia make many visitors shudder, but really want to try. Here fried insects are sold everywhere at cheap prices. Thanks to huge insect demand, Cambodia has an insect market, which sells food-related to insects. The insect market is always busy, the aroma of the dish spreads from many kinds of insects such as crickets, cockroaches, scorpions, water bugs, ... are seasoned with a very typical Cambodian spice, then fried and sold to customers. This is one of the typical culinary cultures of Cambodian people, do not miss it! 
Take note: Fried water bugs are very delicious and cheap. Don’t try fried cockroaches because the smell of them is very "strange". 

10.   Chive Cakes 

On the Cambodian streets, it is not difficult to find vendors selling small chives on bicycles. Chive cakes, also known as Num Kachay, are a portion of popular street food in Cambodia, originating from China.

Fried in a hot pan, Num Kachay is small cakes made with glutinous rice flour and served with a sweet, spicy fish sauce. Though simple the ingredients are, the taste is surprisingly delicious. They are crispy on the surface and chewy on the within. When dipped into the sweet-spicy fish sauce, the flavors blend perfectly in the mouth. This is one of our favorite Cambodian street foods.

Cambodian street foods are very attractive, aren't they? Come here now and enjoy the meal. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Threeland Travel to tailor your once-in-a-lifetime Cambodia Tour. Have a nice trip!