The Slow Rise of Cambodian Food in America

The phrase “funky” commonly will come up when you talk about Cambodian food stuff.

It is usually traced to prahok, fermented fish paste, an component so widely made use of that there is a Cambodian phrase, ‘No prahok, no salt!” It is incorporated in soups, these types of as samlor korko, a rustic vegetable and green fruit stew, as effectively as dips, like teuk kreung, a fish-based sauce served with raw veggies. Its flavor is considered an acquired one for those new to the cuisine. 

But to start with technology Cambodian American chefs are not concerned to use it. In a new crop of eateries, they are embracing the total breadth of Cambodian flavors, although integrating their American upbringings.

“Cambodian food items is a balance of salt, sugar, and acid,” states Ethan Lim, Cambodian American founder and chef at Hermosa in Chicago, a sandwich shop-cum-Cambodian evening meal sequence. He provides that it is this balance that will make the cuisine distinct from Thai food, for case in point, which has a greater peak in acidity and heat.

However when Cambodian cuisine might be quieter, that subtlety really should not be bewildered for absence of flavor. The country’s prosperous historical past (which ties it to China, France, India, Thailand, and Vietnam) and an inextricable partnership with fish infuse the meals with a deep, sophisticated flavor. It draws brightness from the generous use of aromatics and herbs, with an umami depth from fermented elements like prahok.

The nuances of the delicacies, along with the distinctive Cambodian American practical experience, can partially help make clear why Cambodian delicacies has lacked visibility in the States.

The Cambodian American diaspora commenced taking shape in 1975, when the to start with wave of Cambodian refugees came to the States to escape the brutal Khmer Rouge routine that left two million dead. At that time, many ended up not pondering of how to combine Cambodian foodstuff into the American mainstream. It was just intended to be enjoyed within the sanctity of their possess residences. 

“I assume revisiting the delicacies calls for revisiting specified traumas, and I do not feel a lot of men and women were being prepared for that but,” suggests Lim.

A technology taken out, Lim feels he and his friends are now ready to share the delicacies with the rest of the country. Some have started off with typical American mediums, such as the sandwich, to introduce Cambodian flavors to their clientele. Hermosa’s ideal-marketing merchandise is their fried chicken model, influenced by flavors Lim grew up consuming, with tangy papaya salad tucked into a brioche bun. He marinates the rooster in kroeung, Cambodia’s foundational lemongrass paste, and makes use of an abundance of refreshing herbs, these kinds of as Thai basil, cilantro, cilantro, and mint, to be certain that it’s a genuine representation of a Cambodian cultural dish—in sandwich kind.

In Los Angeles, at cafe and deli, Gamboge, founder and chef Hak Lonh also begun with baguette sandwiches—the Cambodian num pang. Lonh employs kroeung as a foundational marinade, using it in various directions —sweet, sour, spicy—throughout his menu. The cafe has a playful wine assortment that highlights the pure “funkiness” of the foodstuff, as Lonh puts it as properly as fusion dishes, these kinds of as the quick rib bowl with Korean limited ribs marinated in kroeung. Lonh started out Gamboge as an homage to his dad and mom, but he also needs it to symbolize what Cambodian food stuff in Los Angeles in 2021 can glance like.