Cambodian Cuisine

A few years ago, we traveled around Laos and Thailand with a vegetarian and a vegan. I don't know if it's the influence of the backpackers or just a local love of vegetables, but it was very easy for them to find meat-free dishes there.

It seems that Cambodia is similar to its neighbors in that respect. In fact, I ordered vegetarian dishes the entire time we were there over Easter, and they were all tasty. However, I'm not sure if stir-fried veggies with rice or noodles are terribly authentic.

The only real Cambodian dish I ate for sure was vegetable amok. It was a very thick, fibrous sauce with an assortment of vegetables inside, served in a coconut shell. The waiter told me it was a national dish, but that I should've eaten it with fish. 

One of the cheapest meals I ate was a delicious bowl of vegetable soup noodles. The soup was a little bit spicy and very fragrant, with cabbage, carrots and rice noodles. I wish I could make it at home!

A great thing about traveling in the tropics is the availability of cheap fruit and juices. I had fruit at breakfast every day, plus several juices, shakes and a fresh coconut. Yum!