Cambodia is a beautiful Southeast Asian country known for its beaches and ancient temples. When visiting Cambodia, you shouldn’t miss out trying out Cambodian cuisine. Typically, a Cambodian meal includes a soup, a salad, a main dish (fish or meat), vegetables and rice. Desserts is typically part of every meal in Cambodia and that usually consists of fresh fruits with sticky rice. In today’s post, we have gathered some of the most popular Cambodian meat dishes that you might want to there when in Cambodia.
Types of Cambodian Meat Dishes
Lok Lak
Lok Lak is a Traditional Cambodian Beef dish. It was brought by the French to Cambodia from Vietnam, thereby considered to be an origin of a French Indochinese origin.
Lok Lak is also known for as stir fried beef in brown sauce dish. Basically a stir fried slices of beef, though chicken or shrimps are also used but beef is the most common and popular key ingredient in making Lok Lak Dish.
Lok Lak is typically served on a bed of cucumbers or lettuce topped with tomatoes then topped with raw onions and finally topped with slices of stir fried beef drizzled with brown sauce. Make sure beef or pork are marinated first before the stir fry process to make it juicy.
It is best served with rice or other green salad.
Khor Ko
Khor Ko is also known as Khmer Beef Stew in Cambodia. It is similar to to Bo Kho, a Vietnamese Beef stew.
Khor Ko is made from using different varieties of Herbs and spices in Cambodia. These herbs and spices includes galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, shallot, onions, garlic and dried peppers. Combining these ingredients with beef can create a mouth watering delicious beef stew.
Char Kroeung Sach Moun
Char Kroeung Sach Moun is a stir fried Lemongrass Chicken dish in Cambodia.
The main component of this dish is the special paste called Kreung. It is a paste that is made from different herbs and aroma. Although there are different Kreung Varieties that varies with the ingredients used to make the paste. Most of the time, mixture of galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and turmeric are used to make this delicious food.
Another similar dish called Char Kroeung Sach ko, the beef version wherein beef is used instead of chicken.
Twa Ko (Cambodian Sausage)
Twa Ko is a traditional sausage in Cambodia that is made either from pork or beef mixed with different spices such as Galangal, roasted peanuts (crushed), and garlic.
Most of the time, pork belly is the preferred meat for making Cambodian sausage. An authentic sausage usually contains about 25 % of fat.
There are different ways to cook Cambodian sausage, you have it barbecued, grilled or pan-fried. Best served with cooked or steamed rice and vegetables too.
Bai Sach Chrouk (Grilled Pork And Broken Rice)
Bai Sach Chrouk is a popular Cambodian meat dish that is usually served during breakfast. It is considered to be one of the simplest and east to prepare Cambodian food.
Bai Sach Chrouk is made of thinly sliced marinated pork. There are different marinade versions such as coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic and sometimes Kampot peppers. After marinating the pork, it is then grilled slowly.
Grilled pork is served on top of a bowl that contains white rice. Pickled cucumbers or carrots can be added to have that healthy breakfast. It is also best served with a bowl of chicken broth with onions and scallions.
Num Pang
Num Pang is also known as Khmer Meat Sandwich. It is a popular street food in Cambodia. The sandwich is similar to Banh mi, a Vietnamese Sandwich. A-must try street delight when in Cambodia.
Meat sandwich that is made of white bread with fillings. There are many different fillings to choose from. A basic Num pang contains only pork or pâté but different versions includes fillings such as carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and chili sauce.
Trei Boeng Kanh Chhet
Trei Boeng Kanh Chhet is a traditional dish in Cambodia. The term Trei Boeng Kanh Chhet simply means “Fish in the lake” or “Fish in the Mimosa Lake”.
Once the fish has already been washed and cleaned up, the whole fish is then deep fried in cooking oil. The deep fried whole fish will then be dipped in coconut curry. The curry is typically made chillies, Kroeng and different types of vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage.
Trei Boeng Kanh Chhet dish is a popular dish that is usually served in Cambodian restaurants. Best served paired with rice noodles or warm rice.
Pleah Sach Ko (Beef Ceviche)
Pleah Sach Ko is another Cambodian dish that is made with raw beef that are thinly sliced into bite sized pieces. The beef is first marinated with lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.
Different varieties of vegetables such as eggplants, green onions, shallots, garlic, bell peppers radish as well as herbs such as lemongrass, basil, cilantro and mint are added to the marinated raw beef.
Pleah Sach Ko is best served chilled or warm and is usually topped with crushed peanuts and often with roasted ground rice.
This Cambodian salad is usually served and prepared for in special occasions such as weddings and other Cambodian festivities.
Aluek Trei Ngeat
Aleuk Trei Ngeat is a simple Cambodian dish that simply contains Dried fish and fruit, usually watermelon is served. The fish that is usually used with this type of dish is the snakehead fish served with chunks of sweet watermelon.
In preparing the fish, it is usually dried under the heat of the sun. This is actually a traditional technique not just in Cambodia but other countries as well wherein it is used to store and use fresh catch fish.
Kha Trei Svay Kchai
Another delightful Cambodian dish is the Kha Trei Svay Kchai. A dish that contains fish steaks that is caramelized using palm sugar. Additional ingredients are added such as garlic, fish sauce, red tomatoes (Quartered) and black pepper (ground).
There are instances when the fish ends in breaking up, to prevent this it is advised not to stir. But rather shake the pot with the fish and the syrup. This will prevent fish from breaking up but will evenly distribute the caramel syrup instead.
To finish the entire dish, it is then topped with green mango, this will provide the hint of sourness on the dish.
Samlor Machu Trey
Samlor Machu Trey or also known as Sweet and sour soup with Fish. A popular Cambodian dish that is made of fish. The common fish that is usually used is the catfish. The Sweet and sour soup contains vegetables and herbs such as garlic, lemongrass, bean sprouts, tamarind, and pineapple. Spices and fish sauce are added too.
Cambodians love to add a hint of sourness to their dishes, if you noticed most of the dishes in Cambodia usually adds an ingredients that would make the dish sour. With Samlor Machu Trey, the presence of Tamarind and pineapple will do.
Samlor Korko (Cambodian Stirring Soup)
Samlor Korko or also called Samlor Kako is a another soup in Cambodia that is made from different varieties of vegetables and fruits. A highly versatile soup in a way that it can be made with any fruits and vegetables, whichever is available at the moment or in the season.
The soup also contains any type of meat but catfish and pork belly is the most common meat used in this Cambodian Stirring soup dish. But if you are looking for vegan friendly version, you can opt not to add meat but rather loading it with fresh vegetables instead.
Aside from the wide variety of choices of ingredients, the 2 essential ingredients when making this nourishing soup includes Prahok (fermented fish paste) and Kroeung (curry paste).
Consider this soup a healthy vegetable soup that you don’t want to miss trying when visiting Cambodia.
Sngor Chrouk Trey
Another soup variety in Cambodia. It is still a soup soup but compared to other sour soups mentioned, this one is a simpler version with few ingredients used.
A lemony fish soup with lime juice and garlic (fried). The fish used is a freshwater fish from Tonle Sap Lake.
To make this sour soup, herbs and spices that are added includes basil, green mango (shredded), coriander leaf, and sometimes mushrooms.
Kari Sach Moan (Chicken Red Curry)
Kari Sach Moan is a popular chicken red curry dish in Cambodia. It is made from using large red chillies that have a mild flavor, therefore this dish is not as spicy as other curry dishes from Thailand and Vietnam.
Kari Sach Moan usually consists of Chicken and mild red chillies as its main ingredient. Additional ingredients such as sweet potatoes, white radish, fresh coconut milk and Kreong (Curry paste).
Chicken Red curry is usually prepared and served in special occasions such as weddings and other Cambodian Festivities.
Best paired it with steamed rice, rice noodles or sliced bread.
Amok Trei
Amok Trei or also called Fish Amok. It is considered to be one of Cambodia’s national dish. It is typically made of stewed fish curry that is commonly served in Banana leaves or sometimes served in a coconut shell.
Different type of fish are used in making this fish curry such as goby fish, snakehead fish or cat fish. However, there are also other cooking varieties wherein instead using fish as the main ingredient, chicken beef and tofu are used.
Kari Saraman
Kari Saraman or also called Saraman Curry is another curry dish variety in Cambodia. It is considered to be a popular Cham origin dish (not a Khmer dish) but also considered to a complicated type of curry dish.
Cham cuisines usually contains beef rather than pork, as they literally avoid using pork meat since Cham belonged to the Muslim Ethnicity in Cambodia.
Kari Saraman curry consists of ingredients such as beef (main ingredient), shrimp paste (prahok), coconut milk and roasted peanuts.
Nom Banh Chok
Nom Bank Chok is a noodle dish in Cambodia that is loved by many. It is also called as Khmer Noodles. It is usually served during breakfast, but can also be served anytime of the day especially as an afternoon delight.
This Khmer noodle dish is made from fermented rice noodles that is topped with green curry gravy. The gravy used is made from lemongrass, turmeric, fingerroot ginger, and garlic. If freshwater fish is used, it will then be simmered in coconut milk for several hours.
Kuy Teav
Kuy Teav is another Cambodia noodle soup. A unique noodle soup that is made from pork bone and squid broth. It is usually served with different varieties of meat such as beef or pork, fried garlic and fish balls.
The name Kuy Teav comes from Hoikken Chinese word that refers to a type of rice noodle.
Rice Vermicelli is usually used with this noodle soup flavored with green onions and bean sprouts. The original recipe of Kuy Teav noodle soup includes minced meat, but there are also other noodle soup versions that contains liver and intestine which also tastes delicious too.
You can see Kuy Teav served in the streets and also in Cambodian restaurants as well.
FAQs
A typical Cambodian meal typically consists of a soup, a salad, main dish (fish or meat), vegetables and of course, rice. After every meal, a dessert is usually served and that includes fresh fruits together with sticky rice.
The cuisines from Cambodia’s neighboring countries (Vietnam and Thailand) tend to be more spicy as compared to Cambodia’s that have a milder spicy flavor of its food.
Although both differs in terms of the level of spiciness on their food, Cambodia and Thai foods are similar in a way that each and every meal of these two typically includes rice.
Conclusion
If you noticed from the lists of dishes mentioned on this article, Cambodia cuisine tend to be heavy on incorporating meat and fish on their dishes. Common meats used are pork, chicken and beef.
The lists on this article are some of the most popular Meat dishes can that can be found in Cambodia that you may want to try when visiting the country simply because these are delicious Cambodian dishes that you don’t want to miss.
Which meat dishes from the lists have you tried, and which ones are your favorite? Let us know what you think.