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Food, eating habits and cusine of Cambodia

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Cambodian cuisine or more appropriately, Khmer cuisine came about as a fusion of several influences. To give an idea of typical Cambodian foods, they look almost like Thai food, with lots of herbs and leaves, except they are not as stinging on the mouth. They also have a lot of noodle-based recipes which they borrowed from another neighbor, Vietnam. Then when it comes to appearance, Cambodians have somewhat learned from the French, talking about food presentation, as a simple beef salad can look so yummy. The Chinese, another neighbor who also are accomplished kitchen wizards, have also found their way towards Cambodian foods, mostly on foods that use noodles and dumplings.

One such influence of the French, being a long time colonial masters, Cambodians have come to embrace the famous baguette. Baguettes are common breakfast items among Cambodians. In fact, one of the most sold items by food peddlers in bikes is the baguette to cater to the people who don’t have time to eat breakfast on the comforts of their homes.

In general, Cambodians would go for a fish and rice diet as it is a geographical tendency having the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers to catch the fish from and irrigates the soil when it overflows.

The famous amok, a steamed catfish curry recipe wrapped in banana leaf, should be a must try for tourists or their experience of Cambodia is not complete. For vegetarians, fresh vegetables served with fermented soy bean dip would be a delight. For desert, the sticky rice and the pumpkin custard would be what most local Cambodians point to as their favorite after dinner course.