Cambodian Food and Drink: A Traveler's Guide to Khmer Cuisine

Why Cambodian food surprises people

Khmer cuisine is gentler than its neighbors. It leans on freshness, herbs, and sour-sweet balance rather than heavy chili heat. Fermented fish paste called prahok is the soul of the kitchen, adding deep savory depth to soups, dips, and stir-fries.

Signature dishes to try

• Fish amok the national dish: steamed coconut curry custard with freshwater fish, kroeung paste, and noni leaf, served in a banana-leaf cup.
• Lok lak cubed marinated beef seared fast, piled on lettuce and tomato with a black-pepper and lime dipping sauce.
• Kuy teav the morning noodle soup, pork or beef broth with rice noodles, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs.
• Bai sach chrouk grilled pork over broken rice, the classic Phnom Penh breakfast, often with pickles and a clear broth.
• Nom banh chok Khmer rice noodles drowned in a green fish-and-lemongrass gravy, eaten early from street carts.

Street food and markets

Head to Phnom Penh's Central Market (Phsar Thmei) or Siem Reap's Psar Chas for skewered meats, num kachay (chive cakes), and fresh spring rolls. Adventurous eaters find fried tarantulas and crickets in Skuon, the famous Spider Town between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham. A street meal usually costs 1 to 3 USD.

What to drink

• Iced coffee (kaffe tuk koh) brewed strong, sweetened with condensed milk and palm sugar.
• Sugarcane juice (tuk ompov) pressed fresh at roadside stalls.
• Tuk krolok a fruit shake with banana, mango, and a raw egg if you like.
• Angkor and Cambodia the leading local beers, cheap and cold.
• Palm wine (tuk thnot) fermented from sugar-palm sap, mostly rural.

Dining tips and etiquette

• Meals are shared family-style; dishes arrive together, not in courses.
• The spoon is your main tool, with the fork used to push food.
• Elders are served and start first; offer dishes with both hands.
• Tap water is unsafe; stick to bottled or boiled water and ask for ice from sealed sources.
• Tipping is not required but rounding up is appreciated.

Stay connected in Cambodia

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