As tourists some travelers may unknowingly overlook a breakfast culture of the host country. It is not that they are ignorant, but simply because breakfast is usually included in the hotel bill. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Cambodian breakfast culture. Highly recommend if you visit Cambodia!
If you are able to converse in local language or accompanied by local friends, going to local restaurants or small street vendors is a good way to learn the country’s culture, history, and issues most important to locals. For breakfast, Cambodians usually eat steam rice (with pork or chicken), num banh-chok (Khmer noodle), and kuy teav (Chinese noodle), just to name a few.
This is a steam rice with pork and fried egg. It’s one of Cambodian favorite breakfast options. You can find it anywhere in the country because it’s easy to make and people just love it. A dish costs $0.5 to $1.00. I have been eating at this place for 20+ years. She was my neighbor until I moved out 11 years ago. If you come to her place between 7:30am - 8:00am, she is usually swamped by hungry customers who will come to pack their breakfast before going to the office.
Kuy teav (Chinese noodle) is made of rice noodle. It is served with meat: beef/pork and beef ball. A dish like this costs roughly $1.75 to $2.00. After you placed an order, it comes back in a few minutes depending how busy the situation is. The soup is difficult to make though. Usually the cook starts making soup from 4am or even the night before. Pictured above, you can see how pack the restaurant is. People do not just come for breakfast, but also to chat about various topics: real estate, politics, hot news on social media, etc.
This is num banh-chok. I think it’s uniquely Cambodian because I have not seen similar thing like this in Vietnam, Laos or Thailand which share similar food culture. A bowl costs only $1.00. It’s made of rice noodle and topped with a lot of vegetables. It looks like a vegetarian option, but it is not. The yellow curry includes ground fresh river fish meat and a lot of local ingredients. Num banh-chok could be served as breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack or sometimes dinner. It could also be served at a big party because it’s cheap, easy to make, and people love it.
If you happen to visit Cambodia, please give yourself a try!
