Rice - the important elements in every meal for Cambodian people. Data from the old day stated about about 70% of Cambodians land are for agriculture crops which include rice, sugar cane, cereals, oil crops primary production, citrus fruit production, vegetables primary productions, roots and tubers, banana plantation, coffee and maize productions. In that, Rice productions play the major role.
Rice profile:
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia in 1989-1996 has 2,554 varieties but today, there are about 800 varieties. So far, wet season (plain area) rice accounts for 39.8%, short life rice for 35.4%, floating rice for 3.5% (in floating areas) and rice farm for 1.9% (on mountain). It was believed that rice has been a very important crop in Cambodia since 5,000BC, before the rise of the Khmer Empire in the 9th century.
Seasons:
We have rainy season and dry season. Rainy season β everything is green while Dry season β everything is grey and golden color. There are two main seasons for rice.
- Planting of rice crop usually starts middle of June
- Harvesting
- Short life rice (3months old) is in Aug/Sept
- Long-life rice (6months old) is Dec/January
Types of rice:
We have two types: Fragrant Rice & White Rice. Names of Cambodian rice mostly after flower names because of those alike flower aroma, such as Jasmine, Turmeric flower, Galangal flower, White cheese-wood flowers and Lotus flower.
- Fragrant Rice, also known as Premium Jasmine Rice, Phka Rumduol, Phka Romeat, Phka Rumdeng, Somali and Neang Malis are grown in the rainy season (long time rice) more expensive for its extra-long grain, soft texture and a distinctive flavor that exudes a strong, natural scent. Sen Kra Ob and Sen Pidao are grown in the dry season but are also long-grained, tender and aromatic. It is very similar to the above varieties but have milder scent.
- White Rice: some varieties are grown in the raining season and others grown in the dry season. This type of rice feeds most people in Cambodia
Rice colors:
- White rice β breakfast, lunch and dinner - typical diet!
- Red rice or brown rice - a type of unpolished rice that has higher nutritional value than white rice or polished rice. It seems that cooking time for red rice is usually longer than white rice while it has a nutty flavor and sweeter taste. Red rice is also a species. I ate when I was young! But the yielding is not so well like the white rice. Many doctors recommended this type of rice for elder people and those who lack of vitamins.
- Black rice - another species as Oryza sativa L., (some are glutinous rice). In Ancient China, this black rice is also known as βForbidden Riceβ because only those belonging to the upper class could afford to eat it, read more about black rice here. We grew at home but havenβt seen it anymore.
- Sticky rice - known as sweet rice or glutinous rice - has a very good aroma (I love to smell it at the field.). It came in three: white, red and black glutinous rice. Sticky rice can be eaten as normal diet (for Laotian people and I love it very much), dessert, sweet and others. The red one named Smach sticky rice - has the most pleasant strong aroma, made the best flatten rice (very sweet and very crispy).
What can be rice used for?
Besides eating everyday as a regular meal with soups, Cambodian people also made them into various things like noodles, desserts, snacks as well as cakes:
- Instant hot rice (steamed or boiled): eat together with soups, sometime older people just eat with ripe fruits ααΆαα
- Porridge, congress or rice soup: bland or with mix of meat and vegetable like carrot/mushroom αααα αααααααΏα
- Dessert (sticky rice): ααΆαααααΎα αα ααΆαααα»α ααΆααα αΆααΏα ααααα (ααα’ααΈ) αααααααα ααααααα ααααααααα
- Sweet & cake (sticky rice): αααααα ααα’ααααα αα/ααααΌα αααααααα’αααα αααααααααααα (α’αΆαααααααα) ααα’αΆααα ααααΌα ααα αΆαα ααααααΌα αααα ααααΆα ααααα/αααααααα αααα/ααα ααααααα’αΆα ααααΆαα ααααααΆαααΆα αααα‘αΆα ααΆααα ααααΌααΆα
- Cambodian and Chinese Rice Noodle: αα»αααΆα αααααα α»α ααΆααα α ααΆααααα ααΆααααΆαα ααΆααααα»α ααΆαααα
- Fried rice: ααΆαααΆ βwith different meats and vegetables
- Sushi (sticky rice)
- Flatten rice (sticky rice/white rice): α’ααα»α
- Sugar: my dad once said he had eaten sugar made from rice before - so good but the family wouldnβt reveal the recipes worried that others would copy it. He ate it at Kompong Cham province. I never saw it at all anywhere in Cambodia in my life!
- Face mask rice flavor (cosmetic products)
Awards:
Cambodian rice won the best rice award for 3 consecutive years β 2012, 2013 & 2014 and again in 2018. Learn more from here & here
Below, a series of rice field photos of different seasons.
2hectars of rice yields can supply the family for the entire of year. Farmers farming the rice in the smaller scale traditionally to supply the household - while companies do it commercially and they would use machines in the process.
More to come 
! They have national colorit.,I like them very much!
