Cambodia Street Food FLAVORS AND SPICES

 If Khmer cuisine owes its flavor to the variety of aromatics and spices used in its various preparation of dishes, it is nevertheless not as spicy as its renowned Thai neighbor, and should therefore better suit the palates often unaccustomed to visitors.

Thus, Cambodian curries will incorporate chilli pepper, but sparingly, and we note an inclination for slightly acidic flavors - chour, given by lemongrass, kaffir lime, kaffirlime leaves and tamarind, and some dishes, to based on certain plants or vegetables will take on a rather unusual bitter flavor ...

The majority of the dishes are also flavored with leaves –chea–, and various aromatic plants if, some of which are also used in Western cuisine, the majority remain little known or even completely unknown to the general public.
 
 

LEMONGRASS
Turmeric
TURMERIC
chilli pepper
CHILLI PEPPER
Pepper
PEPPER
Tamarind
TAMARIND

LEMONGRASS

Lemongrass is a staple of Khmer cuisine, recognizable for its slightly lemony flavor.

We use the stems and leaves, which will be roughly cut to infuse the soup broths.

Pounded and mixed with other ingredients, it constitutes one of the ingredients of the Kreung paste, a kind of Khmer curry paste, which will be used for the preparation of soups - Somlor Mchour Kreung, Sngao Chrouk, salads and marinades for grilled meats and fish ...

It is also sometimes simply chopped and added to other sauces, such as Toek Prahok

CURCUMA

Turmeric is one of the spices that make up, with, among others, lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lemon leaves, Kreung, a kind of Cambodian curry, a mixture of spices flavoring soups and stir-fries.

We mainly consume the roots of turmeric, with its disinfectant virtues and its distinctive bright orange color, which are also used for dyeing bonzes' dresses.

The leaves can also be used to cook fish, Prahoc or other dishes, they will delicately flavor preparations.

PEPPER

Cambodia produces an absolutely delicious pepper in the Kampot region, which was known before the war as one of the best in the world. Production is gradually being relaunched, and Cambodia has recently adopted designations aimed at promoting and protecting quality local products, and the Kampot Pepper appellation is among the first to be created.

However, it seems that the pepper cultivated in the provinces of Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, and even in Phu Quoc, an island that has become Vietnamese not far from Kep, has nothing to envy to Kampot pepper, these lands being ideal for cultivation. of this pepper, also bringing together very good climatic conditions for its cultivation ...

Green pepper is commonly used for stir-frying, and is absolutely delicious as a side dish with crabs, cuttlefish and shrimp.

We also find black pepper, red pepper and white pepper, each color and flavor depending on a different state of maturation or preparation: green pepper being fresh pepper; black pepper, a nearly ripe pepper that is picked and left to dry; red pepper, fully ripe, picked and then dried; Finally, white pepper is a red pepper having been stripped of its rind, to keep only the seed, which will in turn be dried.

TAMARIN

Tamarind is a fruit that looks like a large bean, and can be eaten green or ripe. Green, the fruit is very acidic and is used as a condiment in various dishes, such as "acidic, Mchour" soups (see the section Khmer soups) and preparations. Plain, it is said to be very popular with pregnant women who are prone to acidic flavors. It is also delicious as an accompaniment to fish, served in a preparation where the fruit is pounded –Bok Ampel Ktchey (see Green tamarind sauce).

Nearly Mature Tamarind - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Almost ripe, it is called "Kuo - គួ" the still fairly crunchy tamarind, peeled and eaten as a snack, appreciated for its semi-sweet, semi-acid flavor. The most acidic fruits can be seasoned with a little spicy salt, as is commonly done in Cambodia.

Tamarind, fruit of the ripe tamarind tree - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In ripe tamarind, the pulp contained in the bean is consumed, which forms a hardened shell with a brown color. The fruit takes on a much sweeter flavor, which may be slightly reminiscent of prune. The fruits are sometimes peeled and candied with sugar, sold as treats on market stalls.

The pulp is also used to simmer delicious sauces, which will decorate by giving them a touch of both sweet and sour, soups, stir-fried dishes, such as Ngiew Chhar Ampel Tom, these shellfish cousins ​​to cockles, very popular with Cambodians. .
 
CHILI

Although Khmer cuisine is significantly less spicy than its Thai neighbor, chili is used daily in the preparation of dishes. Thus, a little red pepper added to fish sauce - toek trey- and sometimes a little garlic will simply spice up the dishes, a slightly more specific preparation combining the same ingredients, toek trey Koh Kong, bought in a bottle. at the market will go well with fish and shellfish.

Large red peppers, previously dried and then duly chopped and pounded, enter into the composition of local curry pastes, such as Krueng or Amok.

It is also found in a fried or vinegared condiment, on all tables offering noodle soups and bobor, where it will flavor the broths. Tiny green peppers are also prepared whole in a lightly vinegar solution to enhance these same dishes.