I would not have enjoyed this Khmer Rice and Pork Soup (transliterated as borbor, bo bor or babor), and other Khmer dishes but for a lenient Cambodian border control agent.
On one of our trips to Thailand, an unscheduled opportunity cropped up that was too tempting to pass up. A local TV ad touted Bangkok Air flights to Siem Reap with gorgeous photos of Angkor Wat. Although the ad was in Thai, the ticket price was in numbers, and it was a good deal. So, I booked the flight to Siem Reap, made a reservation at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, a classy old hotel from the French colonial era, and we eagerly awaited our unexpected two-day side trip.
At Bangkok Airport on travel day, we presented our passports. Weldon checked in first and received his boarding pass but when the gate agent turned to me, she, in that very polite, non-confrontational Thai way, apologized, saying that I could not board because of a passport irregularity. I was stunned. What irregularity? My US passport was valid. I had arrived in Thailand a week earlier without question. She explained that my passport was within six months of expiration and Cambodia required a minimum of six months validity for entry. I was crushed.
What to do? Weldon did not want to go by himself, and envisioning possible jail time for me, asked the agent what Cambodians do with people who arrive with less than six months passport validity. “Deny entry and send them back on the return flight,” she replied. “You can go on the flight at your own risk, but you will have to pay for the return flight.” So, we boarded the flight, knowing there was a good chance that it would be a quick round trip.
In Siem Reap, Weldon cleared passport control quickly. My passport was examined, and I was initially permitted through along with Weldon, but a few minutes later the passport agent called me back and pointed out that my passport had less than six months to expiration. After multiple discussions in rapid Cambodian among various officials, I was asked to show my return ticket for two days hence. Since my spouse had a valid passport, I was permitted to enter but warned that I had to be on the return flight as ticketed. Relieved, we continued with our Cambodian visit.
At the time, my knowledge of Cambodia was limited to several articles on Angkor Wat and newspaper accounts of Khmer Rouge’s killing fields of the 1970s. I knew nothing about Cambodian cooking and never encountered Cambodian dishes. But knowing that we only had 48 hours in country to explore the Angkor temple complex and taste Cambodian food, we turned to the Raffles’ staff to organize our trip.
The hotel staff arranged a day-long exploration of major sites in Angkor Archeological Park, stretching over 154 square miles (400 km²) of forested area, encompassing Cambodia’s stunning reminders of the Khmer Empires’ rich heritage and culture. From the 9th to the 15th century, Angkor was the heart of a grand civilization that flourished between northwest Cambodia and the northeast region of Thailand, ruling the territory from Myanmar (Burma) to Vietnam.
Our primary motivation for this Cambodia trip was to learn more about the Angkor temples. Having seen photographs of the temples, we knew what to expect but were astonished by their artistry, scale and condition.
Angkor Wat at sunrise
Angkor Wat frescoes
Tower at Bayon temple
Ta Prohm temple
However, the real surprise of the trip was our discovery of Khmer cuisine. Because we didn’t have time to explore Siem Reap restaurants, we ate our meals at Raffles where each meal had a set tasting menu of Khmer dishes, a perfect introduction to Cambodian cooking.
The head chef created a Royal Dynasty Menu to introduce guests to a cuisine mostly unknown beyond Cambodia’s borders with the principal goal of rebuilding Khmer culinary heritage which the Khmer Rouge communist government destroyed (1974-1979), forcibly resettling opponents to the countryside for hard labor, burning art, books, including cookbooks, and banning private food, private ownership of food ingredients and private cooking. Links to the culinary past were severed; experienced cooks were among the nearly two million Khmer people killed.
Consequently, after the fall of the Khmer regime in 1979, a scant history of Cambodian food, one of the identifiers of Cambodian culture, remained. Thus, cooks undertook the difficult task of reconstructing Khmer cuisine from the memories of elderly cooks who recalled dishes they grew up with and recipes preserved abroad.
Each meal at Raffles was a tasting experience. Our table was always set with bowls of steaming local rice and traditional Khmer seasonings: prahok – a crushed, salted and fermented fish paste with a strong salty taste; kroeung – a distinctive spice paste made with lemongrass and galangal and thuk trey, a spicy sweet and sour dipping sauce. Rather than serving the meal in the customary Khmer family style, the Raffles kitchen presented four to five dishes in courses, beautifully plated on celadon, blue & white and stoneware dishes, and explained by the English-speaking server. This was a refined introduction to Khmer cuisine.
The parade of flavorsome dishes was astonishing: diced fillets of freshwater fish smothered in coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce and palm sugar and steamed in a banana leaf; a crunchy chicken and banana flower salad; stir-fried strips of tender beef served atop a bed of lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and rings of raw onions and topped with a fried egg; a grilled lamb chop marinated in a slightly tart and sweet ginger sauce served on greens; assorted curries featuring chicken, coconut cream and milk; slowly barbecued thinly sliced pork marinated in garlic and oil; grilled or fried whole fish; crunchy and zesty green mango salad; a pork or beef stock rice noodle soup; a rice and pork soupy porridge; Cambodian summer rolls and steamed buns; pumpkin custard and sliced tropical fruit.
This amazing array of dishes illustrated how millennia of shared colonial experience and regional trade influenced Khmer cuisine: spices and curries from India, stir-fries, noodles and steamed buns from China, palm sugar, limes and coconut cream from Thailand, fresh fragrant herbs such as cilantro, basil, mint as condiments from Vietnam, chiles from Portugal and bread, pastries and pâté from France. But the Cambodian ability to blend flavors and spices sets their cuisine apart from others and makes it uniquely Khmer, in a complex culinary adventure of tastes, textures and aromas.
For me, the most memorable dish was the Khmer Rice and Pork Soup we ate in the early morning before embarking for Angkor Wat. Its fragrant aroma, delicately flavored broth and layers of texture provided a satisfying start to the day.
This Khmer Rice and Pork Soup, a classic Cambodian breakfast, is a soupy porridge based on Chinese congee that, with centuries of local adaptation, has become Cambodian comfort food. Initially a breakfast food, it is now also eaten throughout the day, particularly by the ill and hungover.
Not surprisingly, rice is the star of this Khmer Rice and Pork Soup. Rice is the most essential and revered part of every Cambodian meal and a standard Cambodian greeting Nyam bai howie nov? means “Have you eaten rice yet?” In this recipe, the soft rice is suspended in lemongrass, dried shrimp and spice-flavored broth with bits of pork, garnished with fried shallots, spring onions, bean sprouts, Thai basil, a lime wedge and a sweet and sour dipping sauce. It has the perfect balance of the five tastes — hot, sour, salty, sweet and umami. This soup is for all seasons, especially in winter, thick but light with bright, fresh flavors.
Our short trip to Cambodia was enriching, filling in the blanks in my knowledge. I don’t claim expertise in Khmer history, culture or food. I merely had a glimpse of what there is still to learn. But I have many lasting memories and my appetite is whetted for a more extended return visit.
Khmer Rice and Pork Soup, adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Artisan New York, 2000.
For pork marinade
½ pound (227 g) ground pork
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar
For thuk trey – sweet and sour dipping sauce
1 cup water
1 cup (192 g) packed palm sugar or light brown sugar
¼ cup (59 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh red Thai bird chilis, thinly sliced
¼ cup to ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 medium limes)
Thuk trey ingredients
For the broth
7 cups water (1.7 l), adding ½ cup (118 ml) more as needed to maintain a liquid consistency)
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, 1 or 2 outer leaves removed, smashed with a heavy object along the length
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches long
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 tablespoon dried shrimp or 4 flat anchovies, packed in oil, finely minced
½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt or 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt
¾ cup (155 g) jasmine rice, rinsed several times in cold water and drained
2 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil
5 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped, about ¼ cup (34 g)
Broth ingredients
For garnishes:
¼ cup (59 ml) Red Boat fish sauce
1 bird chili, chopped
1 tablespoon peanut or other vegetable oil
5-6 shallots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced, about 1½ cups
2 cups (180 g) bean sprouts or thinly sliced napa cabbage
15-20 Thai basil leaves, slivered (or substitute regular or sweet basil)
1 lunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup (36 g) roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Soup garnishes
Marinating pork: Stir pork with fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Preparing thuk trey: In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and fish sauce until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is syrupy. Stir in water, garlic, chile, and lime juice to taste. Makes about 1 cup. Set aside. (Sauce can be prepared up to one day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature.)
Preparing broth: Place water, ginger, lemongrass, salt and dried shrimp (if using) in a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook steadily for 6-8 minutes. Scoop out the lemongrass and other solids. Add rinsed rice to the pot. Increase heat to medium and when it returns to a boil, lower heat and simmer gently, uncovered, occasionally stirring until the rice is tender about 15 minutes.
Fried shallots
Frying shallots for garnish: While the rice is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until tender and golden, about 3 minutes. Regulate the heat so they don’t burn. Transfer shallots to a condiment bowl.
Cooking pork: Add one tablespoon oil to the same skillet and toss in the garlic and anchovies (if using). Stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the pork and cook, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until the pork is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the pork stir-fry to the soup pot once the rice has finished cooking. Stir thoroughly, seasoning with salt to taste.
Serving: Just before serving, gently reheat the soup. Divide the bean sprouts or shredded cabbage among individual bowls. Add a pinch of shredded basil and scallions to each bowl. Ladle the soup on top. Add a bit of each topping and fried shallots and a generous grinding of black pepper to each bowl. Serve with lime wedges and thuk trey.
Leftover soup can be refrigerated and should be consumed within five days. It should be thinned with a cup of water before reheating.
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