Cambodian Cuisine

Cambodian cuisine is the national cuisine of Cambodia and reflects the traditions of its various ethnic groups, founded on Khmer cuisine, the nearly two thousand year old culinary tradition of the Khmer people, which has absorbed elements of Indian, Chinese, especially Teochew, French and Portuguese cooking over the centuries, from spices brought by Indian merchants around the second century to papaya and tomato introduced by Portuguese explorers in the sixteenth century and baguettes, butter and coffee carried by French colonial rule between 1863 and 1953. The cuisine emphasizes aromatic spices such as cardamom, star anise, clove and nutmeg alongside lemongrass, ginger, galangal, coriander and wild lime leaf, and uses less chili and sugar than neighboring Thai cooking, giving it a distinct flavor profile. Rice is the primary staple eaten at every meal, fish is consumed at a rate of roughly sixty three kilograms per person annually, and fermented sauces such as prahok and fish sauce supply essential umami, with leafy greens and other vegetables often making up seventy to eighty percent of a dish. Fish amok, num banhchok and a range of curries represent traditional fare, alongside stir fries and salads built on fresh herbs and balanced flavor.