Daily Life :: Food
Typically, Cambodians eat rice with soup, vegetables, fish and dips such as prahok (fermented fish paste) or kapi (fermented shrimp paste). Khmer cuisine is noted for the use of prahok or kapi in dishes as a flavoring.Flavours are balanced not in a single dish but on the table in different dishes - a sweet dish, a sour dish, a salty dish and a spicy dish.
Cambodians depend on fish for 70% of their protein requirements. Grilled fish is a local specialty. Meats and poultry are also eaten but in small quantities; they are usually sliced or minced and used more as a flavoring. Exotic delicacies like deep-fried spiders, locusts, field mice and snakes are also eaten. Due to French influence, baguettes (French-style bread) is available widely.
Cambodian salads are flavored with cilantro, mint leaves and lemon thyme. Desserts are normally glutinous rice cakes and fruits.