Tastes and preparation
❃ Tastes and preparation
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សុំអត់ហឹរទេ
[ som ot haeul te ] -
Please make it not spicy
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សុំហឹរបន្តិច
[ som haeul bantech ] -
A little bit spicy, please
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សុំហឹរខ្លាំង
[ som haeul khlang ] -
Very spicy, please
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សុំអត់ប៊ីចេងទេ
[ som ot bicheng te ] -
No MSG (Ajinomoto), please
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សុំអត់សូវផ្អែមទេ
[ som ot sov ph'aem te ] -
Not too sweet, please
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សុំអត់ស្ករទេ
[ som ot skor te ] -
No sugar, please
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សុំចម្អិនឲ្យឆ្អិនល្អ
[ som cham-en aoy ch-en l'a ] -
Please cook it well done (meat)
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សុំឆ្អិនល្មម
[ som ch-en lmom ] -
Medium rare, please
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វាប្រៃពេក
[ vea pray pek ] -
It is too salty
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វាជូរ
[ vea chou ] -
It is sour
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វាផ្អែម
[ vea ph'aem ] -
It is sweet
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វាចត់
[ vea chot ] -
It is bitter
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តើនេះមានសណ្តែកដីទេ?
[ tae nih mean sandaek dey te? ] -
Does this have peanuts in it?
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សុំអត់ទឹកត្រីទេ
[ som ot teuk trey te ] -
No fish sauce, please
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តើអាចកម្តៅវាបន្តិចបានទេ?
[ tae ach kamdav vea bantech ban te? ] -
Can you heat it up?
Cambodian cuisine is renowned for its intense flavor profiles, striking a delicate balance between sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. When ordering food on the street or in a local restaurant, customizing your dish is perfectly normal and expected. However, Western palates might need to navigate a few cultural culinary habits. Firstly, Cambodians love a sweet touch in their savory dishes. A lot of street food includes a hearty spoonful of sugar. If you prefer your food savory, you should say "No sugar, please" — Som ot skor te (សុំអត់ស្ករទេ). Secondly, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a staple ingredient in almost all Southeast Asian cooking, widely used as a flavor enhancer. If you have a sensitivity to it or simply prefer to avoid it, you must explicitly ask the chef: "No MSG, please" — Som ot bicheng te (សុំអត់ប៊ីចេងទេ). When it comes to spice, Cambodian food is generally milder than Thai food, but they still use potent fresh chilies. If you cannot handle the heat, asking to make it "Not spicy" — Som ot haeul te (សុំអត់ហឹរទេ) or "A little bit spicy" — Som haeul bantech (សុំហឹរបន្តិច) will save your taste buds. Lastly, condiments are a big part of the experience. The local table will always have fish sauce, chili, and garlic. Learning to confidently modify your order ensures you can explore the magnificent world of Khmer cuisine safely and exactly to your liking.
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