Must eat in Cambodia — 15+ must try, most famous, popular & best street food in Cambodia

Cuisine is always one of the most attractive things in Cambodia alongside other tourism features. Every dish here has a unique and particular flavor. All over the country, especially in busy tourist areas, visitors can easily find crowded restaurants and vendors on the streets. It demonstrates the eating habits of local people and creates favorable opportunities for us to learn about their street food culture. That said, below are the top +15 tasty street foods that we highly recommend you try during your stay in Cambodia!

So, what food is Cambodia known for, what to eat in Cambodia? Let’s check out our must eat in Cambodia (must eat food in Cambodia) with 15+ best food to eat in Cambodia, most popular food in Cambodia, most famous food in Cambodia to try (must try food in Cambodia), traditional food in Cambodia and best street food in Cambodia (best food in Cambodia) as follows!

Fish Amok or grilled fish (# best street food in cambodia)

Walking around the streets of Cambodia, you often come across vendors selling this flavorful grilled fish. Fish Amok offers the rich, traditional flavors of the Khmer people. The fish fillets are rinsed, seasoned, and mixed with curry powder and coconut milk, then wrapped in banana leaves to grill over charcoal. To create different layers of flavor for the dish, spices such as lemongrass, lime leaves, and turmeric are added.

In many neighboring countries, you can also find quite similar versions of this food. However, the uniqueness of the Cambodian Fish Amok dish comes from a special spice called ‘slok ngor’. This herb brings a distinctive aroma and mild bitter taste to the dish.

Shaking beef

Shaking beef sounds so familiar, right? To be exact, this dish comes from Vietnam. With simple preparation and mouthwatering taste, shaking beef quickly won the hearts of many Cambodians and became a familiar dish in the country of temples and towers.

The special thing about Cambodian shaking beef comes from the source of fresh, quality meat. The local beef breed produces bright red, lean meat. The chef skillfully cuts the beef into bite-sized cubes and then stir-fry it in a hot pan, creating a pleasant sound. Usually, this dish is served with mixed-vegetable salad, including cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and onion, a slice of lemon added on the side, and a little black pepper sprinkled on top. Squeeze a little sour lemon juice onto the seared beef to leverage freshness to the meat. To have it in a Cambodian style, you need to roll the beef with the accompanying vegetables in the salad. Remember to add just enough amount to create a bite-sized roll and then enjoy it.

Pickled fruit (# must eat food in cambodia)

A common thing seen at roadside stalls in Cambodia is large jars of pickled fruits. It can be said that this country is not only the land of temples but also the kingdom of pickled fruits. People often use a variety of ingredients such as papaya, apples, jujubes, cucumbers, and guavas to soak in sour, salty, and sweet solutions. The crispy texture of the fruits mixed with the harmonious taste of the soaking fluid creates an indescribably attractive flavor. This addictive dish can make you crave it again and again without getting bored.

These soaked fruit drinks are not only delicious, nutritious, and affordable, but they also really help you cool down and detoxify effectively on hot summer days while staying in this kingdom. The bucketload serves pickled fruit on almost every corner across Cambodia. From papaya and apple to cucumber and guava, this snack is served in a plastic bag along with a tiny pack of dipping sauce made from salt, sugar, chili, and fish sauce.

Besides, these stalls also offer ready-to-eat fresh fruits for customers. Travelers often purchase bags of fruit cubes that come with a divine dipping sauce. Cambodian sauce blends sugar, salt, chili, and special spices to enhance flavor. You can dip any crunchy and sour fruit with this dipping sauce thanks to its universal taste. Amid the sweltering heat, each piece of sour, spicy fruit will be a great cooling snack for you to release the steam.

Balut (# must eat in cambodia)

If you’re still confused then stay away from balut – although this can be difficult, given its popularity among locals. Balut is the fertilized embryo of a duck and it is eaten whole, usually from the shell. Although not appealing to Western visitors, balut is renowned for being nutritious and high in protein.

For Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines, this is a very nutritious and delicious street food. However, balut is listed as a horror dish for many foreign diners. As for the Cambodian way of eating, they often simply eat the whole egg with a little salt, pepper, and spices. In times of fatigue, enjoying hot balut is refreshing.

Steamed pork buns (# must try food in cambodia)

Steamed pork buns are also a dish that is no longer strange to visitors. In Cambodia, you can easily find small carts selling this bun along the streets. The steaming basket always radiates hot steam to maintain the needed temperature for the buns. Just passing by, the aroma from this dish will make your hungry stomach protest right away.

Unlike the Vietnamese or Chinese steamed pork buns, the Cambodian version of them is somewhat simpler. In addition to the smooth, spongy white flour crust on the outside, the filling inside is ground pork marinated with a little salt and pepper and covered with an egg. This simple flavor makes many diners feel that the bun is easier to consume. Remember to enjoy the food while it’s still hot!

Street carts with steamers are visible along Cambodia’s sidewalks, carrying steamed pork buns – a popular afternoon snack. This is truly a dish that saves hunger pangs for those who haven’t had time to eat lunch yet. It’s both easy to eat and rich in flavor.

Grilled frog (# what to eat in cambodia)

Frog is a favorite dish of Cambodians. In this country, you can find countless ways to prepare this meat from stir-frying, braising, pan-frying, stewing, making porridge to grilling. Among them, grilled frog dishes have been occupying an important spot in the list of street food in Cambodia. Frog meat is not a strange dish, so enjoying it is easy. However, Western visitors often show a horrified or cautious attitude when they see it.

Not exclusive to the French, frogs are a popular snack in Cambodia, with vendors often seen carrying whole frogs, skewered and grilled. While the majority of these amphibians are small, they are juicy and tender and are often fried in chili for a fiery kick.

The frogs are thoroughly prepared and marinated properly before being grilled over an open fire. People often skewer a few of them onto a stick. The frog is grilled until it’s charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. Frog meat – especially the thighs – is firm, juicy, and appealing, making you unable to stop chewing.

Grilled pork on skewers (# cambodia must try food)

Just like in other Asian countries, skewer vendors are present on almost every street. With such a rich and appetizing flavor, how can tourists resist this street food? The vendors grill meat on hot coals in their mobile carts on the side of the street. You will have it on a skewer, accompanied by a pickled papaya salad, or placed on a crusty bread. Take a stroll through some of the well-known grilled meat skewer vendors that are popular among young people in Cambodia to appreciate the unique flavor of this street food.

Grilled pork on skewers brings a familiar feeling to you, right? However, this food in Cambodia has a more particular marinade! Grilled pork skewers are a warm snack that provides a lot of energy. It is easy to hold and eat so you can walk around and enjoy it at the same time. Usually, there are two types of meat skewers in Cambodia: one is served with pickles, vegetables, and white rice, and the other is eaten separately and marinated with many typical spices.

As for the first type of grilled meat, it is a popular breakfast option for the locals. This meal not only brings a lot of energy for a new day but is also very balanced in nutrition because it has all three elements: starch, protein, and fiber. On the contrary, instant marinated meat skewers are one of the snack options chosen by many people. Try both of these dishes to experience the appealing and exotic flavors.

Grilled sausage on skewers

Besides pork skewers, barbecue shops also offer typical Cambodian skewered sausages. This food has a similar texture to Vietnamese fresh sausage with a harmonious sweet and salty sense. For those who are only familiar with Western sausages, they will definitely enjoy this rather new texture. People often grind the meat, marinate it with spices, stuff it into the pig’s intestines, and tie them together to create even links. After air drying the sausage, people put it on skewers and grill the sausage over an open fire.

Just from afar, you can smell the delicious, irresistible aroma. The sausages are shiny and sizzling, inviting all diners to come and enjoy them. You can eat the food alone or sandwich it with bread, salad, and chili sauce. The perfect blend of the lean and greasy parts with typical spices creates an appealing dish, not too soggy but not too dry either.

Iced milk coffee

If you have fallen in love with the bitter, aromatic taste of coffee, you should enjoy iced milk coffee when visiting Cambodia. Take a sip to see if it is similar to the coffee you usually have every morning.

Cambodian coffee is created from local coffee beans. The beans undergo a slow roasting process after being dried in the sun to preserve their sugar and oil content. People also put a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of the cup, then add coffee in the middle, and ice on top. Gently stir the milk to adjust the sweetness to your liking.

Chive cake (# best food to eat in cambodia)

Fried in hot pans at mobile street vendors, Num Kachay are small cakes, made with sticky rice flour and served with sweet, spicy fish sauce. You can find similar versions of this dish in Thailand, but the recipe is believed to have originated from China.

Chive cake has become a popular dish in Cambodia. Although the snack looks simple, it creates an impressive highlight. The cook uses rice flour mixed with chopped chives as ingredients. Chive cakes are fried in hot oil so they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The mild aromatic flavor of chives is the main characteristic of the dish. Contrary to the plain taste, the cake will increase its taste when served with sweet and spicy fish sauce and raw vegetables. This is truly an irresistible snack that makes you come back for more at once to fill your appetite.

Kuy Teav noodle soup

A popular breakfast among locals, Kuy Teav is a noodle soup made with pork or beef bones and rice vermicelli. Fish balls and pork are added, and the dish is topped with bean sprouts, stir-fried shallots, and green onions. If you walk along the streets, you will see familiar images of roadside eateries. This dish doesn’t look too complicated at first glance, just consisting of a rich broth and chewy noodles. On top will be thinly sliced pieces of beef, add a little herbs and you will have a delicious bowl of noodles.

Stir-fried noodles

Stir-fried noodles can be found widely throughout Cambodia in a variety of forms, from short and thick to soft and instant noodles. Regardless of the variety, Mi Char is a popular snack across the Kingdom, adding pork or beef before stir-frying with greens is a popular choice.

Deep-fried bananas

It is a popular street food in Cambodia with a unique crunchy and fragrant taste. If fresh bananas easily cause bloating, when combined with the crunchy dough shell, it makes people want to eat them all. The banana is thick, rolled evenly, and dipped in flour. After deep frying, the bananas will have a golden crust and a completely new flavor. The taste is not a surprise but deep-fried bananas add a unique element to Phnom Penh’s street food.

Pork and rice

Pork and rice is one of Cambodia’s national dishes, eaten throughout the day and night. Slices of marinated pork are served with a generous portion of rice, alongside a piece of omelet, pickled vegetables, and a bowl of broth. This is quite easy to have and suitable for everyone, especially foreign tourists traveling to the country.

With diverse food sources and the interference of culinary cultures, Cambodia possesses a treasure trove of amazing street foods. All represent an undeniably unique culture. On your upcoming journey, take advantage of this list of special dishes.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Phnom Penh you can refer to

• Shared Bus Transfers from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh, Kampot, or Kep by Giant Ibis
• Phnom Penh Airport Transfers (PNH) for Phnom Penh
• Shared Bus Transfers between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville by Giant Ibis
• Private City Transfers between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
• Shared Bus Transfers from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by Mekong Express Bus Limousine
• Shared Bus Transfer between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh by Giant Ibis
• Private Phnom Penh International Airport Transfers (PNH) for Phnom Penh
• Phnom Penh City Day Tour
• Phnom Penh Half Day City Trip with Shared Van
• Phnom Penh Half Day Cycling Tour
• Hidden Phnom Penh City Tour
• Phnom Penh Heritage Tour
• Phnom Penh Past and Present Half Day Tour
• Phnom Penh Heritage Tour
• Phnom Penh Historical Tour
• Phnom Penh Killing Fields & S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Tour
• Classic Phnom Penh Tour

Are you finding more top things to do in Phnom Penh: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Phnom Penh shopping — Top 8 best shops, markets & shopping malls in Phnom Penh you must visit. And Siem Reap travel blog — The fullest Siem Reap travel guide for a budget trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia.