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Saturday, April 15, 2017

Scenteurs and Flavours of Amok, the national dish of Cambodia


Problem
What is in the national dish of Cambodia, fish or meat amok? Will I like it? Am I allergic to any of the ingredients? (Does it contain shrimps? I'm allergic to shellfish and always worry about Thai fish paste). Some people take medicines which can't be eaten combined with citrus fruit. I loved the Amok dishes in restaurants. And the coconut sauces. But still didn't know what was in Amok.

Answer
We found out the ingredients of Amok when we visited the Senteurs d'Ankor Workshop.
The recipe cards in the shop were most enlightening.

Amok, according to the sign we saw, consists of six spices or ingredients.
Lemon grass
kaffir leaf
paprika
galangal
finger root (Chinese ginger)
turmeric (called curcuma).

If you are wondering whey the French name. I surmise two reasons. The French language is traditionally used worldwide for menus. The French were in this part of Asia and the older generation speak French and the foreign tourists include those from France and other French speaking countries.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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