Cambodia Tasty

 Koh Ker Temple was listed officially by UNESCO yesterday as a world heritage site. During the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia yesterday, UNESCO officially announced the listing of Koh Ker temple as a new world heritage site. The Cambodian government is committed to conserving the archaeological site in accordance with principles set out by the World Heritage Committee. Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Phoeurng Sackona, led Cambodian delegates to join the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Koh Ker is a 10th-century temple complex and former capital of the Khmer Empire. It is located in Srayong Cheung village, Srayong commune, Kulen district, Preah Vihear province. King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday thanked the World Heritge Committee for recognising Koh Ker for the cultural heritage of Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet said yesterday that September 17 will be remembered as an important historical day for the Cambodian ...

Because of the country’s incredible richness in waterways including the Mekong, Sap and Bassac Rivers, as well as the massive lake, Tonlé Sap, freshwater fish and seafood, such as salmon, squid and prawns, is especially popular, featuring prominently in soups. Beef, pork, chicken, duck, but more expensive than fish dishes. The hallmark of Khmer cuisine is prahok, a fermented paste made from a small fish called trey riel, grey or brown in color, with a strong odor and an intense flavor. It is used both as a condiment and as a main element in a variety of Khmer dishes, and it accounts for a large portion of protein in the Khmer diet. Another foundation of many Cambodian dishes is Kroeung, a distinctive spice paste made with a base of lemongrass, kaffir lime and galangal.

 “Fried fish in the lake” is a party dish, often eaten at restaurants in a special fish-shaped dish. A whole fish is deep-fried and then finished on a hotplate at the table in a coconut curry made from yellow kroeung and chilies. Vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage are cooked in the curry, which is served with rice or rice noodles. Its name literally means “fish in the water mimosa lake,” which refers to the green Cambodian vegetable that serves as the base of the dish.

 The main ingredient in a Cambodian salad, or nhoam, may vary, be it ambarella, banana blossom, cucumber, or lotus root, but the chi, or herbs, remain the same. Traditionally, four herbs are used: Asian basil, mint, Cambodian mint, and fish-cheek herb, a heart-shaped leaf grown in Southeast Asia whose flavor is reminiscent of the sea. Cambodian salads are often made with unripe fruit and usually contain smoked fish and small dried shrimp. Green mango salad is a classic whose flavors of sour fruit, salty smoked fish, and sweet palm sugar form a beautifully harmonious whole.

Served at roadside barbecues all over Cambodia, stuffed frogs can be an intimidating sight for timid visitors, but any fearfulness disappears at the first taste. Frogs are stuffed with minced pork, roasted peanuts, red chilies, frog meat and fresh kroeung made from lemongrass, garlic, galangal, turmeric and the zest of makrut limes. Grilled inside split pieces of bamboo over hot coals, the resulting snack is like a frog sausage, rich with root spices and slightly sweetened by palm sugar.