30 Essential Cambodian Dishes Every Traveler Should Try

Cambodian cuisine is deeply rooted in history, shaped by various cultural influences, and yet it remains a hidden gem in the global culinary scene. To truly taste the breadth of what Cambodia offers, you need to visit the country itself. Here are 30 must-try dishes that showcase its vibrant flavors.

Samlor Korkor

While amok is often touted as Cambodia’s national dish, samlor korkor holds a stronger claim as the true emblem of the country’s culinary identity. This comforting soup has been enjoyed for centuries and is served everywhere—from humble roadside stalls to upscale restaurants and family kitchens.

The beauty of samlor korkor lies in its flexibility; it’s made with a variety of seasonal vegetables and can be prepared with almost any type of meat, though the most common versions feature catfish and pork belly. The dish is flavored with prahok (fermented fish) and kroeung (a fragrant curry paste), then thickened with toasted ground rice, creating a rich and savory soup that’s both comforting and nourishing.

Nom Banh Chok: Traditional Khmer Noodles

Nom Banh Chok is such a cherished dish in Cambodia that it's often referred to as 'Khmer noodles' in English. Typically enjoyed as a morning meal, you’ll see vendors selling it on the streets, with women balancing baskets of fresh rice noodles on poles over their shoulders.

The dish features freshly made rice noodles, painstakingly pounded by hand, and topped with a vibrant fish-based green curry gravy made with lemongrass, fingerroot ginger, turmeric, and garlic. It’s garnished with an assortment of fresh vegetables, including cucumbers, banana flower, long beans, wild leaves, and edible flowers. In Siem Reap, a sweet sauce called tuk paem, made from palm sugar and peanuts, adds a unique twist.

Amok: A Signature Cambodian Dish

Amok is one of Cambodia’s most iconic dishes, though variations can be found in neighboring countries. What makes the Cambodian version stand out is the addition of slok ngor, a local herb that adds a delicate bitterness, setting it apart from similar dishes.

The curry is made with rich coconut milk and kroeung, a fragrant Cambodian spice paste. While traditional recipes used fish or snails, today you can find versions made with chicken or even vegetarian options. At fine-dining establishments, amok is often steamed in a banana leaf with egg, giving it a mousse-like texture. In more casual settings, it's served as a soupy fish curry.

Bai Sach Chrouk: Grilled Pork with Rice

Bai sach chrouk, or grilled pork with rice, is a beloved Cambodian dish typically enjoyed in the early mornings. Thin slices of pork are marinated in a mix of palm sugar and fish sauce before being grilled over coals, which gives it a sweet, smoky flavor.

The dish is served over a bed of fragrant white rice, accompanied by a tangy pickle of cucumbers and daikon radish, and garnished with fresh ginger. Often, a bowl of warm chicken broth with scallions and crispy fried onions completes this comforting breakfast.

Kari Sach Moan: Cambodian Red Chicken Curry

Cambodian red curry is a milder version of its Thai counterparts, made with local red chilies that add richness without too much heat. The curry is cooked with chicken, white radish, sweet potatoes, fresh coconut milk, and kroeung, a Cambodian spice paste. It’s a popular dish served at weddings and other special occasions, often accompanied by fresh rice noodles, sliced baguette, or white rice.

Bok Trop Pgnon: A Traditional Pounded Eggplant Dip

In Cambodia, 'bok' refers to the art of pounding ingredients together in a large mortar. Trop pgnon are small, wild pea eggplants known for their bitter flavor. These are grilled and mashed with garlic, shallots, chilies, and a touch of sugar to balance the bitterness.

The dip is typically flavored with fish, such as smoked fish or prahok (fermented fish paste), but can also be made without it. It’s usually served alongside a variety of fresh or steamed vegetables for dipping, offering a flavorful, savory snack or appetizer.

Bok Trop Pgnon: A Portable Meal for Field Workers

Kha Sach Ko: Beef Stewed in Caramelized Palm Sugar

Kha refers to a cooking technique in Cambodia where palm sugar is slowly caramelized into a sticky syrup, forming the base of the dish. The beef version of kha is rich and complex, yet surprisingly simple to prepare. While every family has their own version, the foundation usually starts with the kha syrup, combined with spices like galangal, chilies, garlic, black pepper, and star anise.

Some variations of kha sach ko add cloves, or create the broth with coconut water for extra richness. Tomatoes, tamarind, or soy sauce are sometimes included to further deepen the flavor. The dish is served with crusty baguette slices — a reminder of the French colonial era — or noodles, and garnished with fresh herbs, onion slices, and crispy fried garlic.

Prahok Ktis: A Creamy Fermented Fish Dip

After rice, prahok is the second most essential ingredient in Cambodian cooking. It’s a strong-flavored mash of fermented fish, used sparingly to impart a deep umami richness to various dishes. However, in prahok ktis, it takes center stage.

When cooked with fresh coconut cream, palm sugar, and minced pork, prahok’s pungency softens, making it more approachable for first-time tasters. Another variation, prahok kroeung ktis, includes a fragrant blend of root spices. Both versions are served alongside fresh, crunchy vegetables.

Sngor Chruak Sach Trei: A Tangy Sour Fish Soup

Soups are an essential part of Cambodian dining, and no meal feels complete without one. Known as 'sngors,' these soups are simple yet incredibly versatile, designed to highlight the main ingredient—in this case, fresh fish from Tonle Sap, the vast freshwater lake that is central to Cambodia's ecosystem.

The fish is simmered in a fragrant lemongrass broth, seasoned with lime juice and fried garlic. This results in a light yet satisfying soup, complemented by fresh local herbs such as Asian basil and sawleaf coriander. Optional additions like straw mushrooms or shredded green mango offer extra flavor and texture.

Kari Saraman: Cambodian Beef Curry

The Cham people, a Muslim ethnic group in Cambodia, avoid pork in favor of beef, which is a staple in their cuisine. The most revered beef vendors in Siem Reap’s local markets are often Cham women.

Beef saraman curry is the standout dish in Cham cuisine. This rich, aromatic coconut curry is one of Cambodia’s more intricate recipes, infused with bold spices like star anise and cassia bark. Braised with whole peanuts, it’s often served with sliced baguette to soak up the flavorful sauce.

Nhoam krauch thlong: Pomelo Salad

Cambodian salads often use sour or unripe fruits in place of vegetables. In this vibrant and refreshing dish, the tartness of giant pomelo is paired with succulent pork belly, toasted coconut, and tiny dried shrimp, all topped with fresh mint and crispy fried shallots.

For the most meticulous chefs, preparing this salad involves carefully peeling each segment of the pomelo and delicately separating its juice vesicles. This labor-intensive process results in a salad that is both delicate and harmoniously balanced in flavor.

Tuek kroeung

A beloved Cambodian dish, tuek kroeung is a sharp, flavorful dipping sauce made from a blend of fresh river fish and fermented fish, often served with an assortment of fresh, seasonal vegetables and aromatic herbs.

The name can be misleading — while kroeung usually refers to the aromatic curry pastes that are essential to Cambodian cuisine, here it simply means 'ingredients' or 'what’s inside,' as no curry paste is actually used in tuek kroeung.

Kha trei svay kchai: Caramelized Fish with Green Mango

Trei roh, or striped snakehead fish, is one of the few fish species that can 'walk' on land, and in Cambodian markets, they are often seen leaping out of vendors' baskets, attempting to scurry away. If they're not quick enough, they often end up as kha trei, a delicious caramelized dish served with green mango.

Thick steaks are first placed into a pot of bubbling caramelized palm sugar, garlic, fish sauce, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Quartered red tomatoes are frequently added to the mix.

To prevent the fish from breaking apart, the dish is never stirred; instead, the pot is gently shaken to evenly coat the ingredients with the caramel syrup. The final dish is topped with shredded green mango and fragrant Asian basil.

Kangkep baob: Stuffed Frogs

Often served at roadside barbecues across Cambodia, stuffed frogs may initially seem intimidating to shy visitors, but any apprehension vanishes with the first bite.

The frogs are packed with a mixture of minced pork, roasted peanuts, red chilies, frog meat, and fresh kroeung made from lemongrass, garlic, galangal, turmeric, and the zest of makrut limes. Grilled in split bamboo over hot coals, this snack resembles a frog sausage, rich with aromatic spices and subtly sweetened with palm sugar.

Mi kola: Kola noodles

The Kola are an ethnic group in Cambodia, originally hailing from Yunnan, China, and the Mon and Shan regions of Myanmar. They settled in northeastern Cambodia during the 19th century.

Today, there are more street food stalls and restaurants serving the noodle dish named after the Kola people than there are Kola individuals in Cambodia. Rice noodles are topped with dried shrimp, hard-boiled egg slices, cucumbers, peanuts, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a zesty lime-garlic-shallot dressing.

While pork is optional, it is commonly added, and you’ll often be served with a side of tangy cucumber and green papaya pickle.

Chrok krao chhnang: The 'out of the pot' soup

The name of this soup refers to its unique cooking method: Instead of being prepared in a pot over a flame like most Cambodian soups, the ingredients for chrok krao chhnang are assembled in a large bowl and then steaming hot water is poured over them to create the broth.

The soup is made with smoked or dried freshwater fish, hard-boiled eggs, shallots, and green tomatoes. It’s flavored with fresh herbs like sawleaf coriander and Asian basil, plus sugar and a splash of lime juice. Served with rice, this dish brings together a perfect blend of salty, sweet, and sour for a wonderfully balanced meal.

Plea sach ko: Lime-marinated beef salad

This Khmer-style beef salad features thinly sliced beef that’s either quickly seared or marinated in lime juice, ceviche-style. Tossed with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, Asian basil, mint, green beans, and green pepper, the salad is sweet, salty, and full of heat from fresh red chilies. With more beef than vegetables, plea sach ko is a celebratory dish, often served at weddings or enjoyed with beer during a night out.

Chha trop dott: Grilled eggplant with pork

This simple dish is a quintessential Cambodian comfort food. Eggplant is grilled over an open flame or hot coals, then topped with savory minced pork fried with garlic and oyster sauce. A sprinkle of fresh herbs like basil, spring onions, or coriander completes the dish.

In more refined versions, the dish might be enriched with egg or served in the hollowed-out eggplant shell. While it has just a few ingredients, it’s incredibly delicious when prepared properly.

Chaa kdam meric kchai: Fried crab with green pepper

The coastal town of Kep is known for its local crab, and its bustling crab market offers a delicious fried crab dish prepared with fresh green pepper from Kampot, a nearby region famous for its pepper.

Kampot's pepper is renowned among culinary experts around the world. While dried versions are available internationally, the distinct flavor of the fresh, green peppercorns can only be experienced in Cambodia. A trip to Kep for this unique pepper is a must, especially when paired with the related dish, chaa kdam kroeung, crab fried with curry sauce.

Samlor m’chu kroeung sach ko: Lemongrass beef sour soup

This tangy soup is a comforting remedy for a hangover, a cold, or a dreary rainy day. It comes in two varieties: a simple version or one with coconut milk (ktis). The base is prahok and kroeung, a fragrant paste made from lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime, turmeric, and garlic. When coconut milk is not used, fresh curry leaves are charred over a flame to add a smoky depth to the flavor.

The creamy version of this soup combines coconut milk with ripe tamarind to add a tangy sourness, while fresh herbs like holy basil or sawleaf coriander provide a refreshing finish. Water spinach, ambarella leaves, and occasionally eggplant are added, creating a simple yet deeply restorative dish.

Maam chao: Raw fermented fish

For those with a taste for the adventurous, maam chao is a dish made with a type of raw, fermented fish called maam. Freshwater fish is mixed with roasted rice, galangal, and sugar, then left to ferment for at least a month, resulting in a distinctive, flavorful dish.

Compared to prahok, maam has a more subtle flavor, with its salty pungency softened by the sweetness of palm sugar. Maam chao is typically served as a dip, mixed with pineapple, and accompanied by boiled pork and a variety of crisp raw vegetables.

Somlor proher: Fragrant vegetable soup

A beloved staple in Cambodian villages, somlor proher is a fragrant vegetable soup known for its aromatic base made from lemongrass paste and fingerroot ginger. The soup can be made with a variety of locally grown or foraged vegetables.

Common ingredients include pumpkin, taro, and luffa gourd, while lemon basil is so integral to the dish that it is often referred to as 'the herb for somlor proher' in Cambodia. Fish, both fresh and fermented, is typically added, though it can also be made vegetarian, or 'mhob bouh,' as it's known, despite Cambodian monks not avoiding meat entirely.

Ang dtray meuk: Grilled squid with Koh Kong sauce

Along the Cambodian coastline, you'll often see seafood vendors carrying small portable charcoal grills, grilling squid as they stroll by the shore.

The squid is brushed with either tangy lime juice or savory fish sauce before being skewered and grilled. It’s typically served with a zesty chili sauce from Koh Kong, made from garlic, fresh chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, and a hint of sugar.

Nhoam svay kchai: Green mango salad

In a traditional Cambodian salad, or nhoam, the main ingredient varies, from ambarella to banana blossom, cucumber, or lotus root. However, the herbs, or chi, always remain consistent. Four key herbs are used: Asian basil, mint, Cambodian mint, and fish-cheek herb, a heart-shaped leaf found in Southeast Asia with a flavor reminiscent of the sea.

Cambodian salads often feature unripe fruits, with smoked fish and small dried shrimp as common additions. A classic example is the green mango salad, where the tangy sourness of the mango, the saltiness of the smoked fish, and the sweetness of palm sugar come together in perfect harmony.

Aluek trei ngeat: Dried fish and watermelon

The combination of dried fish and fresh fruit might seem unusual, but it perfectly captures the essence of Cambodian cuisine. Trei ngeat refers to fish, often snakehead, that has been salted, dried in the sun, and preserved through time-honored methods.

In this dish, the salt-cured snakehead fish is grilled over charcoal and paired with chunks of sweet, ripe watermelon, creating a delightful contrast of sweet and umami flavors.

Chaa angrong sach ko: Red tree ants with beef and holy basil

In Cambodia, insects are a common sight on the menu, but the dish that is most likely to intrigue foreign visitors is stir-fried red tree ants with beef and holy basil.

Red weaver ants, which can range from barely visible to nearly an inch long, are stir-fried with ginger, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and thinly sliced beef. A generous amount of chilies adds spice, but the ants' subtle sour flavor remains the star of the dish. It's served with rice, and if you're fortunate, you might also get a helping of ant larvae.

Kuy teav: Noodle soup

Every Southeast Asian country has its own take on noodle soup, and kuy teav is Cambodia’s version. This flavorful broth, made from pork bones and squid, is typically served with pork or beef, fish balls, and crispy fried garlic.

The name kuy teav comes from the Hoikken Chinese term for a type of rice noodle. There are various theories about its origins, including that it was either invented by Chinese traders in Cambodia or brought from Kampuchea Krom, a region in southern Vietnam that was once part of the Khmer Empire. Regardless of its beginnings, kuy teav remains one of Cambodia's most beloved breakfast and afternoon dishes.

Sngor ngam nov sach moan: Pickled lime soup with chicken

This chicken soup gets its distinctive taste from pickled limes, which are either sun-dried in salt or briefly boiled and soaked in saltwater for weeks or months. The resulting flavor is reminiscent of Moroccan cuisine.

The soup delivers a powerful citrusy and salty flavor, with no bitterness. Traditionally, it’s made with just pickled limes and free-range chicken, both of which are so packed with flavor that nothing else is needed, though garlic and spring onions are often added for extra depth.

Num ansom: Sticky rice cakes

These sticky rice cakes, wrapped in banana leaves, are a true symbol of Cambodia. In 2015, the government created an enormous num ansom weighing 8,900 pounds, which was displayed in front of Angkor Wat and entered the Guinness World Records.

Num ansom can be either sweet or savory, with fillings like bananas and coconut or pork and mung beans. During major celebrations, such as Pchum Ben (Ancestor's Day), women spend days preparing hundreds of these rice cakes to share with family and friends, as well as offer to monks at the pagoda.

Trei boeng kanh chhet: Fried fish in the lake

“Fried fish in the lake” is a festive dish often served in a special fish-shaped platter at restaurants. A whole fish is deep-fried, then brought to the table where it's simmered on a hotplate in a rich coconut curry made with yellow kroeung and chilies.

The curry is enriched with vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage, and served alongside rice or rice noodles. The name of the dish translates to 'fish in the water mimosa lake,' referencing the green Cambodian vegetable that forms the base of the curry.