An ancient Southeast Asian cuisine of curry pastes (kroeung), prahok fermented fish, and palm sugar, less chili-driven than its Thai and Lao neighbors.
What it is
Khmer cuisine traces back to the Angkor empire, when royal kitchens shaped many of the curries and noodle soups still eaten today. Cambodian food is often described as quieter than Thai — less chili, more layered herbal depth from kroeung, the country’s signature pounded paste of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and kaffir lime.
How it tastes
The cuisine leans on sweetness from palm sugar, sourness from tamarind and kaffir lime, and the deep fermented funk of prahok. Coconut milk is used judiciously; the result is gentler and earthier than Thai green curry.
Signature dishes & techniques
Fish amok — a custardy curry of freshwater fish steamed in banana leaves with coconut milk and kroeung — is the national dish. Nom banh chok, breakfast rice noodles in a green fish gravy, is sold from baskets across the country. Lok lak, stir-fried beef with a lime-pepper dip, shows the French colonial inheritance.
Find more cuisines by letter
Cambodian (Khmer) starts with C and ends with R. Browse other cuisines along the same letter.
Cuisines that contain a letter from "Cambodian (Khmer)":