Top 3 traditional cuisines in Cambodia to taste

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Top 3 traditional cuisines in Cambodia to taste

The Cambodia’s food culture is not to be missed. A typical Cambodian meal would normally consist of a soup, a salad, a main fish dish, vegetables and rice. Cambodia’s reputation isn’t built on its cuisine like several other prominent Southeast Asia countries, but many of the country’s traditional dishes deserve more respect than they receive in the culinary world.  While most dishes skip the extreme spice and heat of the delicacies found in neighboring Thailand, the mild flavors found in Cambodia cuisine are more than enough to still tickle your tastebuds. Tours Indochina Cambodia

  1. Twa Ko

Twa ko is a Cambodian sausage made from beef or pork and various spices. For best tasting sausage, try it on the grill. This will allow the fat to drip. However, there are times when frying might be the quick and easiest way to go. Please use caution when frying. You can even break it apart before frying and then serve it on paper towel so it can absorb some of the fat.

Twa ko

Twa ko

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. For the curious mind, these sausages are made with beef with a blend of Khmer spice and aromatics. It makes a very quick, easy and tasty meal to take to work. Tours in Cambodia

  1. Lok lak  

Lok Lak was possibly brought to Cambodia via the French from Vietnam who’ve named the dish Bo Luc Lac, “shaking Beef” for the method of quickly searing and shaking the beef on a hot skillet. Most restaurants across the county offer this dish but tastes are varied depending on the chefs and regions. The beef or pork slices must first be marinated before cooking so that they are tastier and juicier. Lok lak is a Cambodian beef stir fry served with onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, and dipped in a sauce containing lime juice, salt and pepper.

Lok Lak

Lok Lak

It is commonly served with rice, a fried egg and a separate plate of lettuce leaves. The lettuce leaves are used to wrap the beef inside and then dip into the sauce. Chicken can be used as an alternative and for vegetarians use tofu.

  1. Crunchy crickets

With spicy taste and crunchy, fried crickets and spiders have become the favorite snack for Cambodian people and foreign tourists, though they are not populously edible insects in other countries. Considered a pest in most parts of the world, the millions of crickets that swarm the plains every year are actually celebrated in Cambodia.

Crunchy crickets

Crunchy crickets

Seen as a delicacy, the crickets are served up deep-fried, crispy and seasoned. Some Cambodians believe eating crickets regularly improves health and longevity and the region is the country’s leading cricket producer as its watery soil helps the insects flourish.

Hitting all the senses that makes Cambodian food so unique, salty, sweet, sour and spicy.

I Love Cambodia.

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