Getting a taste for Cambodian food

Source: CCTV.com
01-07-2009

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai or Vietnamese food, but it's certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication. Now a local restaurant hopes to win tourists over to one of Asia's least well-known foods by offering them a cooking class.

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai or Vietnamese food, but it's certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication.

Just like in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, most tourists to Cambodia venture out onto the streets to discover its local food. After all, this is where most visitors first stumble upon the country's many delicacies, all prepared and sold outdoors from the numerous stalls and restaurants.

But many tourists walk away saying Cambodian street food is bland, since it contains few of the herbs and spices that Thai or Vietnamese street food bursts with.

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai orVietnamese food, but it's

certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication.

Now a food critic and restaurateur is telling tourists not to make up their mind till they visit a real Cambodian restaurant.

Frits Mulder, Frizz Restaurant owner, said, "In Thailand tourists eat the food on the streets where it's quite good, but in Cambodia, street food is basic and not really very tasty. That's why Cambodian food has a bad reputation. But when they visit a proper Cambodian restaurant, many discover they prefer Cambodian food to Thai food. It's less spicy so the flavors come through better."

According to Frizz, the best way for visitors to learn about Cambodian cuisine is in a cooking class like this one run by his restaurant.

Each class kicks off at a local food market where participants pick out the raw ingredients they will need to prepare a three-course meal.

Hun Liheng, Cambodia Cooking Class instructor, said, "Everything in this market is really fresh so it's good for your health. Because Cambodian people don't have a fridge at home, they buy fresh ingredients everyday and eat them right away."

According to Frizz, the best way for visitors to learn about Cambodian cuisine is in a cooking
class like this one run by his restaurant.

Back at the roof-top cooking school, students prepare a Cambodian meal from scratch. First up, spring rolls - a popular appetizer across Asia and the world.

Work then begins on the main course.

Fish amok is a Cambodian curry combining fresh water fish, peanuts and coconut milk.

Served on banana leaves softened over an open flame, the dish is finally topped off with a garnish of fresh herbs.

At Frizz's cooking class, there's also plenty of time to relax and talk with fellow participants as they dig into their own culinary creations.

With the intimate and laid-back atmosphere of the roof top, students ask each other questions and get to know the different cultures their classmates hail from.

And when it's finally time to say goodbye, each participant rests in the knowledge that they're bringing at least some secrets of this tropical country back to their homelands.