Khmer royal cuisine

Khmer royal cuisine or Cambodian royal cuisine (Khmer: ម្ហូបព្រះបរមរាជវាំង Mahob Preah Barom Reacheaveang lit. 'Royal palace cuisine' or simply ម្ហូបវាំង Mahob Veang lit. 'Palace cuisine') is one of the three types of Khmer cuisine, the other two being elite and provincial cuisines.[1] Khmer royal cuisine has evolved over the centuries with influences from India, China, Thailand, Vietnam and France.[2]

Khmer royal dishes served at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal

The distinctions between the three culinary styles are not as pronounced as in the case of Thailand or Laos,[3] and the main characteristics that set Khmer royal cuisine apart from the other two culinary styles are the higher quality ingredients and more elaborate cooking techniques.[4]

History

At the peak of Khmer Empire's power, its palace kitchens produced a sophisticated royal cuisine. After the Khmer Empire was defeated by Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1353 and 1430,[5] Khmer royal cooks were brought to Ayutthayan palace kitchens where they influenced the Thai royal cuisine.[6][7] Through Java, the preparation of curry pastes from South India had been adopted into Khmer royal cusine that added lemongrass and galangal to the recipe, which then made its way into the royal kitchens of Ayuttaya, where turmeric was replaced with cardamom and tamarind.[8] Khmer royal dishes were further developed in the Ayutthaya Kingdom, where during the reign of King Narai they were supplemented with Portuguese recipes and brought back into the Khmer palace kitchens.[6]

In the 1800s, Khmer palaces had separate kitchens for preparing desserts and snack foods, and it was done by wives, concubines and female members of the inner court. The Khmer palace desserts were labour-intensive and included intricately carved fruits and vegetables, candied flowers, perfumed water, and jasmine flowers picked at sunset, steeped in water overnight, and used to flavor sugar and finished desserts. Miniature fruits and vegetables made out of soybean paste, palm sugar and coconut, and dipped in gelatin were also made in the Khmer palace kitchens and served at royal weddings.[9]

In the French protectorate of Cambodia, Khmer palace specifications stated that the food should be prepared only with butter and not fat, a diverse and plentiful selection of fruits should be provided and only the highest quality coffee and tea is to be served. In 1932, during the high season, the Khmer palace staff included a head chef of European origin, two cooks, a pastry chef-baker and six waiters.[10]

It has been said that the work done by the cooks of the royal palace and of the aristocracy of Phnom Penh during the first half of the 20th century reflected the same capacity for taking pains and using highly developed techniques which had been displayed by the builders of Angkor Wat, Cambodia's most famous monument, in the distant past. By all accounts, such cooks produced dishes of visual appeal equal to or surpassing those of any other cuisine.

— Alan Davidson, "The Oxford Companion to Food" (2014)[11]

Modern Cambodian royal cuisine has been shaped by King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk, Princess Mom Ket Kanya, Princess Kanitha Norodom Rasmi Sobhana and their distinctive culinary styles. Sihanouk was most famous for his dishes, such as Les Profitéroles Fourrés de Crème de Fromage, where the king used the knowledge of his favourite French cuisine and world cuisine. Princess Mom favoured traditional Cambodian cuisine and spent her life researching herbs, spices, vegetables, meats and other Cambodian ingredients, and the best way to prepare them. Together with American Women's Club, she also wrote the first Cambodian cookbook and after going into exile following the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia continued preparing Khmer dishes for the king, his entourage and guests. Princess Rasmi Sobhana, on the other hand, was known for her sophisticated presentation of simple dishes that often broke away from the traditionally strict format of royal cuisine, experimenting with carving fruit and vegetables and arrangements on different shape, size and color plates, in what she saw as more modern. She was also known for including luxurious ingredients, such as cognac or a glass of champagne, in ancient royal recipes and popular countryside dishes.[2]

Characteristics

The culinary traditions of Cambodia's royal family stand out from other Cambodian recipes in several aspects. Notably, the ingredients used in royal cuisine exhibit a level of richness and opulence. For instance, royal recipes often incorporate lavish elements like giant prawns and crab meat, which were considered too extravagant for everyday cooking. The spices employed include cardamom, cloves, coriander, fennel seeds, and star anise. Royal recipes tend to use shrimp paste instead of the prahok fish paste.[12] Kroeung for royal dishes may contain additional ingredients, such as kaffir lime leaves and coriander root.[13]

Saraman curry, a dish popular among the Khmer royalty[14]
Nataing with rice crackers

Certain dishes hold a special significance in Khmer royal cuisine as they originated in the palace kitchens. These iconic dishes, once exclusively made for the royal family, have now become part of the wider culinary scene. As a result, they have become an integral part of Khmer special occasion banquets, extending beyond the boundaries of the royal palace.[15]

Bai domram (បាយតម្រំា)

Bai domram is a rice dish served with multiple side dishes meant to be eaten with it. It is prepared by allowing the cooked rice to cool overnight and absorb the morning dew. This process infuses the rice with a subtle essence. To enhance the aroma, jasmine flowers are added to the dish in the morning.[16] During the dry season, bai domram is appreciated for its cooling effect.[2]

Amok trei (ហហ្មក ត្រី)

Amok trei is a royal speciality believed to be dating back to the Khmer Empire. It consists in a steamed fish curry with a texture that has often been likened to a delicate mousse, soufflé, or custard. Cambodians hold a deep affection for this dish, often referring to it as the national dish of Cambodia. Nowadays, fish amok is predominantly served in restaurants and reserved for special occasions. Thailand's ho mok is considered a descendant of Khmer amok trei.[17]

Nataing (ណាតាំង)

Nataing is a dip made with minced pork, coconut cream, and peanuts. It is traditionally enjoyed alongside crispy rice cakes. A variation of nataing favored by the Khmer royalty uses chicken meat that has been finely strained before cooking. An even more extravagant version incorporates lobster as the main ingredient.[18]

Muk mee (ម៉ុកមី)

Muk mee is a Khmer-style salad made of fried rice vermicelli, from which a wide array of toppings is added.

Saraman curry (សរហ្ម័ន)

Saraman curry is considered the most complex curry in Cambodian cuisine. Its recipe features a complex blend of spices, including cloves, coriander seeds and roots, cinnamon, cardamom, lemongrass, dried chilies, galangal, kaffir lime, shallots, and garlic. The dish is believed to have originated in the muslim communities of Cambodia.[19]

Restaurants

Two restaurants in Cambodia have been granted royal Khmer recipes by a decree from the Royal Palace of Cambodia – Restaurant Le Royal of Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh[20][21][22] and restaurant "1932" (previously Restaurant Le Grand) of Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap.[23][24]

References
  1. McCafferty, Georgia; Tham, Dan (5 May 2017). "Food for the soul: Resurrecting Cambodia's forgotten cuisine". CNN. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  2. Thaitawat, Nusara (2000). "Royal cuisine". The Cuisine of Cambodia. Thailand: Nusara & Friends Co. Ltd. pp. 178–179. ISBN 978-9-748-77885-3.
  3. "L'Art de la cuisine cambodgienne | The Culinary Art of Cambodia". The Angkor Database. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  4. Ros, Rotanak (2023). Saoy: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine. ISBN 978-9924966319.
  5. Van Esterik, Penny (2008). Food Culture of Southeast Asia. Greenwood Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-313-34419-0. A series of devaraja god-kings from the ninth to the fifteenth century ruled a far-flung Khmer empire that fell into gradual decline and was defeated by the Siamese kingdom of Ayuttaya in 1353 and again in 1430. Between these periods, Siamese and Cambodian rulers exchanged "people, ideas, texts, and institutions." At the height of its power, Khmer palaces produced a refined cuisine, but by the fifteenth century, Khmer power eroded. Recipes associated with the Khmer palaces were modified in Ayuttaya and eventually re-exported into Cambodia.
  6. Van Esterik, Penny (2008). Food Culture of Southeast Asia. Greenwood Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-313-34419-0. When Siamese defeated the Khmer, they brought back Khmer cooks. Thus, Thai palace cuisine was probably influenced by the imperial cuisine at Angkor Wat. From there, dishes were further developed in the Ayuttaya courts, with the addition of Portuguese recipes during the reign of King Narai and returned into the royal Khmer kitchens.
  7. Ken Albala, ed. (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-313-37627-6. The royal tradition of palace food centered in the temple complex of Angkor Wat had a profound influence on Thai palace food.
  8. Van Esterik, Penny (2008). Food Culture of Southeast Asia. Greenwood Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-313-34419-0. Another version traveled from India, by way of Java, into the Khmer courts, and from there into the royal kitchens of Ayuttaya, Thailand, adding cardamom and tamarind to replace the turmeric. Cambodia and Thailand add lemongrass and galangal to the mixture;
  9. Van Esterik, Penny (2008). Food Culture of Southeast Asia. Greenwood Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-313-34419-0. In the 1800s, Thai and Khmer palaces had separate kitchens for making desserts and snack foods. Women—wives, concubines, and members of the inner court—produced these luxurious, labor-intensive items. Palace desserts were feasts for the eyes as well as taste buds and included delicate carved fruits and vegetables, sugared flowers, perfumed water, and jasmine flowers picked at sunset, steeped in water overnight, and used to flavor sugar and finished desserts. Miniature fruits and vegetables known as look choob, made of soybean paste, palm sugar, and coconut, and dipped in gelatin, were once only found in the palace or served at "royal style" weddings. Over the last decade, these palace sweets have become available in supermarkets and served at receptions.
  10. Demay, Aline (2015). Tourism and Colonization in Indochina (1898-1939). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 166–167. ISBN 978-1-443-86699-6. in 1932, the minimum staff in the high season for the Khmer Palace and the Royal was twenty four-people (a manager or maître d'hôtel or head chef of European origin, two cooks, a pastru chef-baker, six room house bots, six waiters, three coolies, a seamstress, a launderer, two gardeners, and a night watchman). (...) In the Palaces, including the Khmer Palace, the specifications stated that the cuisine should be prepared exclusively with butter and not fat, fruits should be varied and abudant, and the coffee and tea should always be of highest quality,
  11. Alan Davidson (2014). Tom Jaine (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-191-04072-6.
  12. Ros, Rotanak (2023). Saoy: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine. ISBN 978-9924966319. One distinction is the richness of the ingredients. For example, many royal recipes call for giant prawns and crab meat which can be too costly for daily cooking. Other opulent ingredients include spices such as cardamom, cloves, coriander, fennel seeds, and star anise. Very few dishes use prohok, the classic Cambodian fish paste so beloved by Cambodian people. Instead, the royal recipes often call for shrimp paste.
  13. Thaitawat, Nusara (2000). "Royal cuisine". The Cuisine of Cambodia. Thailand: Nusara & Friends Co. Ltd. p. 44. ISBN 978-9-748-77885-3.
  14. "Panhcuisine". 20 December 2015. A royal dish in Cambodia, the Kari Saraman is a difficult but oh! rewarding dish to prepare.
  15. "L'Art de la cuisine cambodgienne | The Culinary Art of Cambodia". The Angkor Database. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  16. I, Wayan Mawa (2009). Royal Khmer Cuisine. Grand Hotel d'Angkor. p. 7. ASIN B07DSFMNZ4. It is said that Royalty like a cold rice dish that is prepared the night before and put outside so that dew infuses into the rice and in the morning, jasmine flower are added to make the dish fragrant.
  17. Dunston, Lara (23 May 2017). "Cambodian Fish Amok Recipe – an Authentic Steamed Fish Curry in the Old Style". Grantourismo Travels. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  18. Carter, Terrence. "Khao Tang Na Tang Rice Cakes – Chilli Prawn & Pork Dip Recipe". Grantourismo Travels.
  19. Carter, Terence (13 November 2014). "A Recipe for Saraman Curry or Cari Saramann – a Cambodian curry". Grantourismo Travels. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  20. "Restaurant Le Royal, Home to Fabled Khmer Cuisine, Reopens at Raffles Hotel Le Royal". Luxury Travel Magazine. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  21. "First Look: Restaurant Le Royal reopens at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh". Suppermag. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  22. "Restaurant Le Royal, Home to Fabled Khmer Cuisine, Reopens at Raffles Hotel Le Royal". Drift. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  23. Othman, Anith Adilah (29 November 2019). "'1932' resurrected at Raffles d'Angkor". Khmer Times. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  24. "Royal Khmer Cuisine At Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor". World Travel Magazine. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
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