"Balance is the secret to great Khmer food," says Cambodia's most internationally acclaimed chef, Luu Meng, "because every Cambodian ingredient is unique, and each brings an important dimension - whatever the dish."

"Sourness and spice are important," continues Luu, as he clutches a bunch of young mango leaves and rips them in two, spraying an inimitably zesty aroma into the air, "but they should never be overwhelming."

"It's a trick of balancing strong flavours with the more subtle, so that every ingredient is captured in the final taste."

And strong flavours may be an understatement.

'Prahok', both venerated and feared throughout Cambodia, depending on the fortitude of one's

taste buds, is as much a staple of Khmer cuisine as rice, fish and coconuts.

As Hak Sokhoeun, head Chef of Phnom Penh's Romdeng Restaurant, a training restaurant run by Friends NGO, explains, "There was once a time when prahok wasn't optional. If you didn’t eat it in the dry season, you died."

Both Luu and Hak have refined the fermented fish puree for the international palate in their respective kitchens, a process of essentially reducing the salt, ensuring only the finest ingredients are used, and standardising all production methods. The end result is a suitably pungent paste that grants savoury depth to all variety of soups and grilled meats, and can even be comfortably eaten raw with vegetables and rice.

Flavours of Cambodia

Written by: James Whitehead

Prahok, lemon grass, galangal, garlic, palm sugar, eclectic herbs, leaves and f lowers, and 'kroeung', Cambodia's signature spice mix, are just a few ingredients that dominate family kitchens throughout Cambodia.

A cuisine once born out of necessity is fast becoming a world-class celebration of the nation's abundant array of ingredients. The task of chefs like Luu and Hak is to adapt essentially home-style fare into internationally accessible cuisine, using the best local ingredients and invoking traditions of generations both past and present.

For this reason, Luu and Hak both proudly reject the title of 'fusion chefs'. They are Khmer chefs evolving to the demands and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

A generation of chefs, who cut their chops in sleepy guesthouses across the country making egg breakfasts and fried rice, day in day out, would soon step into international hotel kitchens, climbing the gourmand ladder from one to five stars as their expertise grew. Now these cooks have the opportunity to introduce Khmer ingredients and cuisine to the world as head chefs of the finest restaurants in the Kingdom.

For Luu, the joy of cooking Khmer food will always lie in its unrelenting diversity: "Every time I go out to the provinces I discover a new herb or spice, or twist on an ancient Khmer standard, that surprises me and excites my taste buds. I can hardly wait to get back to my kitchen and think of how to transform the recipe for my diners."

AngkoR Inflight Magazine April - June 2015 55

លោក លូ ម៉្ង ចុងភៅខ្ម្រដ៏ល្បីមា្ន្ក់បាន

ប្្ប់ឱ្យដឹងថា “សមតុល្យ គឺជាអាថ៌កំបាំងន្

ម្ហូបខ្ម្រ ព្្ះរាល់គ្ឿងទ្សនីមួយៗរបស់

ខ្ម្រសុទ្ធត្មានលក្ខណៈពិស្ស ហើយវាចាំ

បាច់ទាំងអស់សម្្ប់ម្ហូបគ្ប់មុខ”។

រសជាតិជូរហើយ ហឹរគឺសំខាន់ណាស់ លោក

និយយបណ្តើរហ្កស្លកឹសា្វយ្បណើ្តរ និងបាន

ពោលថា “ត្មិនគួរដាក់វាច្ើនព្កដ្រ”។

លោក ហាក់ សុខខឿន គឺជាម្ចុងភៅៅ

ហាងបណ្តុះបណា្ដ្លសិស្សឈ្ម្ះរំដ្ង របស់

អង្គារមិត្តសំាញ់បានប្្ប់ឱ្យដឹងថា ប្ហុក

ក៏ជាគ្ឿងទ្សដ៏សំខាន់មួយរបស់ម្ហបូខ្មរ្ដ្រ។

លោកម្៉ង និងលោកខឿនត្ងត្មានប្ហុក

ល្អទុកក្នុងចង្ក្្នបាយរបស់ពួកគ្ ដោយ

ប្ហុកោះត្ូវបានចម្្ះជាតិអំបិល រួមផ្សំ

នឹងគ្ឿងទ្សល្ៗអ ដើម្បីធានាាមស្តង់ដារាល់

គ្ប់ដំណាក់ាលផលិត។ ជាលទ្ធផល ពួក

គត់ទទួលបានគ្ឿងទ្សមួយដ្លមានក្លិន

ប្ហើរល្មមសម្្ប់ធ្វើជាមួយសម្ល និងទទួល

ទានជាមួយសាច់អាំង ឬទទួលទានឆៅទ្្ប់

បន្ល្ស្ស់ក៏បាន។ ដំបូងឡើយ ម្ហូបអាហារ

កើតច្ញពីភាពចាំបាច់ដើម្បីារទទួលទាន។

បច្ចុប្បន្នន្ះ វាបានា្ល្យជាារប្្រព្ធថា្ន្ក់

ពិភពលោកមួយដើម្បីបង្ហ្ញអំពីភាពសម្បូរ

ប្បន្គ្ឿងទ្សនានារបស់ជាតិសាសន៍

នីមួយៗ។ ដូច្ន្ះ តួនាទីរបស់លោកម៉្ង និង

លោកខឿនគឺធ្វើយ៉្ងណាក្ច្ន្គ្ឿងទ្ស

ខ្ម្រដ្លប្ើប្្ស់ាមផ្ទះឱ្យៅជាម្ហូបមួយ

ដ្លជនបរទ្សអាចទទួលទានបាន ដោយ

ប្ើប្្ស់គ្ឿងទ្សល្អៗពីជំនាន់មុន និង

ជំនាន់ន្ះរួមបញ្ចូលគ្ន្៕

ខ្ម្រម្ហូបរសជាតិ

Luu Meng

56 AngkoR Inflight Magazine April - June 2015

Hak Sokhoeun

AngkoR Inflight Magazine April - June 2015 57