Top 5 Must-Try Khmer Salad

Like other Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia is rich in fruits and vegetables. Thus, you will find it easy to have a unique tropical Khmer salad here. It's an excellent choice to refresh yourself, especially after spicy dishes. When you travel in Cambodia and look for something to refresh your taste buds after the spicy curry, don't miss out on our list of Khmer salads below!

About Khmer Salad

Cambodia has a rich collection of salads. People use not only vegetables but also fruits to make the dish. It's usually a great mixture of fiber and protein. Local chiefs like to combine the tenderness of meat (cooked or ceviche) with the crunchiness of the slightly pickled veggies in a simple dressing recipe. The dressing is usually sweet and sour (sometimes spicy), giving the salads a delectable taste that nobody can resist. Roasted peanuts and herbal leaves are added to make you more mouthwatering for it. The dish is an essential part of Cambodian cuisine. Locals have it for lunch, family meals, or special occasions such as weddings.

 

Top Popular Salad In Cambodia

You can find different types of local salads almost everywhere, from market food stalls to high-end restaurants. Scroll down for five highlighted salads and where to try them.

1. Gnoam Trayong Chek - Banana flower salad

Banana Flower Salad

 

The first candidate on our list is Gnoam Trayong Chek - Banana flower salad. Since Cambodian cuisine is affected by the surrounding countries, you can find slightly different versions of the dish in Thailand and Vietnam.

Gnoam or Nhoam in the Cambodian language refers to a salad with cooked ingredients. That's why you'll find poached chicken along with our main ingredient - banana flower. However, no meat version for vegans is also available. 

The recipe includes chicken, banana flowers, carrots, sprouts, shallots, roasted peanuts, fish sauce, liquid palm sugar, lime juice, garlic, chili, and aromatic herbs such as mint, basil, coriander, etc. The tenderness of chicken is in great harmony with the crunchiness of banana blossoms. The slightly sweet and sour dressing delights the taste of the whole mixture. Besides, you'll feel the incredible fragrance of the herb, encouraging you to enjoy the dish more. 

The tip for cooking this Khmer salad is to put the thin-cut petals into the acidulated water to protect their color from oxidation and getting black. So, the fresh look is preserved. 

The salad is perfect for lunch, a starter for a family meal, or when you have a barbeque party.

Where to eat:

Average price: USD 5 - 10

Restaurant	Information
Khmer Taste Restaurant	Sok San Road Near Pub Street, Siem Reap Cambodia 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
The Touich Restaurant Bar	No: 0152, Trang Village, Sangkat Slor Kram Behind Wat Preah Enkosei, Siem Reap Cambodia 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sambo - Khmer & Thai Restaurant	Wat Damnak, Located At The Rear Entrance Of Art Centre Night Market, Siem Reap, 17000 Cambodia 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

 

2. Nhoam Krauch Thlong - Pomelo salad with prawns

Pomelo Salad with Prawns

 

One of many amazing vegetable mixes is Nhoam Krauch Thlong, a Khmer salad made from pomelo and prawns. Locals also add toasted coconut, fried shallots, and garnish with mint, giving the dish an appealing and refreshing look. The simple dressing from fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice are also perfect for the salad. Besides sour and sweet, you may find it a bit spicy as garlic and chili are also added. 

This beautifully balanced salad is ideal if you have a steamy day or want something special for a balmy evening. The salad's value also lies in the laborious work that the chiefs spend on peeling and separating the small pomelo vesicles. It's a meticulous job as they want to serve you something other than a plate of mashed fruits. The process of cooking and cleaning the pawns takes time, too. Thus, this dish absolutely deserves a try. 

Where to eat:

Average price: USD 5 - 10

Restaurant	Information
Element	51A street 306, BKK1 Phnom Penh 11:30 - 13:30, 18:00 - 21:30, every day except Sunday
Palate Angkor Restaurant & Bar	Acha Sva Road, Siem Reap 17259, Cambodia 06:00 am - 11:00 pm
Damnak Khmer Restaurant	9 Sivatha Road, Siem Reap 855, Cambodia 06:00 am - 10:00 pm

 

3. Nhoam Svay Kcha - Green mango salad

Green Mango Salad

Another Khmer salad made from fruits is Nhoam Svay Kcha - Green mango salad. It's similar to Somtum in Thailand and Laos.

The salad presents itself as a perfect match of green fruits and seafood. The main ingredients are crunchy shredded mangos, dried shrimp, and crispy smoked fish. As usual, classic Cambodian dressing, including fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, garlic, and chilies, is added, giving a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy flavor. People also like to put peanuts and leaves of mint or basil for decoration. 

You can find different versions of Nhoam Svay Kcha made with squid or chicken breasts. Some chiefs even modify it by using green apple, unripe cranberry, or plum instead of mango. 

One small tip when locals prepare any Khmer salad is to make the dressing first to meld the taste and add it to the mixture to avoid sogginess. 

Where to eat:

Average price: USD 5 - 25

Restaurant	Information
Nary Kitchen	32 N. 650, Group | Prek Mohatep, Svay Por, Battambang 02000, Cambodia 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Kabbas Restaurant	48Eo, Street 172 Chey Chomneas, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 12206 Cambodia 09:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sambo - Khmer & Thai Restaurant	Wat Damnak, Located At The Rear Entrance Of Art Centre Night Market, Siem Reap, 17000 Cambodia 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

 

4. Pleah Sach Ko

Pleah Sach Ko

 

Pleah Sach Ko is another popular salad you should try when visiting Cambodia. Locals usually cook it for weddings, family gatherings, or other festival occasions. However, it's possible to find a restaurant that serves the dish. It usually comes before or after heavy food such as curry or hot pot.

Pleah Sach Ko uses raw beef as the main ingredient. Before cooking, locals choose beef carefully before cooking, as it's the key to a successful recipe. The meat (usually sirloin) should be fresh and well refrigerated. Then, it is marinated in lime juice and herbs for two hours. The liquid will cook the meat to a certain perfect level of doneness for this dish.

The beef will then be mixed with a blend of shallots, lettuce, bean sprouts, basils, chili, and peanuts in the classic sweet and sour dressing with a fish sauce base. We bet nobody can resist this fresh, tasty cold Khmer salad.

Where to eat:

Average price: USD 3 - 20

Restaurant	Information
Meatophum	70 St, Phnom Penh 9:00 - 20:30 on weekdays | 9:00 - 17:00 on Wednesday | 9:00 - 15:00 on Sunday
Street 27, Siem Reap 5555, Cambodia	Street 27, Siem Reap 5555, Cambodia 06:00 am - 11:00 pm
ST 63 BASSAK Restaurant	02 Street 308 At Bassak land area in front of white building apartment, Phnom Penh 12301 Cambodia 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

 

5. Phlea Trei - Khmer Raw Fish Salad

Khmer Raw Fish Salad

 

If you adore seafood, Phlea Trei - Khmer Raw Fish Salad is what you definitely can go for. This Cambodian ceviche-style salad has a wonderful and refreshing taste with fragrant fish. 

Trei means fish, and Phlea implies a type of raw salad with generally cooked meat. In this case, it's the fish cooked in citrus juice. You can choose almost any fish to cook, yet the most common one is a local firm white fish. 

Phlea Trei is a traditional local dish, yet it brings contemporary feelings. That's why you can see it appear on menus of many finest restaurants, where salmon is served as the main ingredient. 

To cook this, you should prepare a solution of fish sauce, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, lime zest, sugar, salt, and garlic. When the sugar is well dissolved, pour it into the mixture of fish pieces, shallots, beans, bean sprouts, tomato, and peanuts. Mix evenly and put some herb leaves for an aromatic flavor. 

Where to eat:

Average price: from USD 5

Restaurant	Information
Butterflies Garden Restaurant	National Road 6 Chong Koa Sou Village, Slor Kram Commune, Siem Reap 17253 Cambodia 09:00 am - 9:00 pm
Khmer Village Restaurant	63c, Street 294, Phnom Penh 12302 Cambodia 7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Mok Mony Restaurant	63c, Street 294, Phnom Penh 12302 Cambodia 10:00 am-10:00 pm

 

Khmer salad is part of Cambodian cuisine that will highlight your trip to the country. If you want to find out more about the local cuisine and other great things about the Land of Wonder, don't hesitate to contact BestPrice Travel.

Thu Trang

Image source: Internet