Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is a thriving, opportunity and attractive city with high-end luxury restaurants, entertainment venues, small and large restaurants, and street stalls. In terms of dining, in addition to the local Khmer cuisine, there are also cuisines from Western countries, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and other countries.
When it comes to Chinese food, whether it is Sichuan-Chongqing hot pot, Hunan cuisine, Shaanxi cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and other cuisine restaurants..... You can find it in Phnom Penh, even at roadside stalls selling Chinese snacks. There are more or less differences in the taste of Chinese cuisine from Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia. But what is surprising is that after the introduction of Chinese food into Cambodia, it is extremely popular.
The local Chinese love for Chinese food even exceeds that of Khmer cuisine
A Phnom Penh local interviewed pointed out that he is of Chinese descent and has never been to China to taste authentic food, so he wonders if Chinese restaurants are "localized" in terms of food production after coming to Phnom Penh. But he loves to eat Chinese food in Phnom Penh. For him, Chinese cuisine is rich in flavor and variety, and the food is unforgettable.
Another Chinese girl also said that although she grew up in Phnom Penh, she rarely eats Khmer food, preferring Chinese flavors. In her opinion, most of the Khmer delicacies are made with mashed lemongrass, baby onions and turmeric, and the taste is on the sweet side, and some of the food has stinky fish, which is difficult for her to accept.
Although she doesn't eat stinky fish, she likes Chinese stinky tofu and snail noodles.
According to reports, she has eaten Chinese stinky tofu and also likes snail noodles. Her Cambodian friends also love these smelly but delicious Chinese delicacies.
The girl said that one of her friends is a complete "foodie" and likes to taste food everywhere, whether it is Khmer, Japanese, Chinese or Thai, whenever there is a restaurant in Phnom Penh, she will taste it whenever she has time.
I remember one time, her friend was out for dinner, and on the way home, she came across a roadside stall selling stinky tofu in Changsha, and saw that many people were queuing, so she followed on a whim, and after trying stinky tofu for the first time, she fell in love with it. From then on, she frequented the stinky tofu stall, and later, for some reason, the owner changed places. She went to other shops to eat stinky tofu, but the taste was far less than that of the roadside stalls, so she rarely ate it.
Later, when he smelled a Chinese snail noodle shop in Phnom Penh, this friend tried it for the first time and was also fascinated by the smell of snail noodle.
"Although the snail noodles smell a little stinky, they taste a bit similar to those in Cambodia. She thinks that the merchant may have improved the original Chinese taste and made it local in order to attract customers," said her friend.
The Chinese girl said that she and her friend even bought it online from China and cooked it themselves in order to eat authentic snail noodles.
Because she likes a lighter taste, every time she cooks snail noodles, she adds extra ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, etc., so that it tastes more fragrant.
I have never been exposed to Chinese, but I like to eat Chinese food
In addition to ethnic Chinese, several young Cambodians from other provinces who came to Phnom Penh to study and work also enjoyed Chinese food, even though they had no Chinese at all and had little exposure to Chinese culture.
A Cambodian woman in her 30s said that as more and more Chinese restaurants took root in Phnom Penh, she also went to taste them with her family. She has eaten snail noodles, Sichuan-style hot pot, spicy tang and barbecue, etc., which she thinks are delicious, and every time she goes to eat, there are always many customers in the restaurant.
Another Cambodian man also said that although Chinese food and Cambodian food have different tastes, they have their own merits.
Of course, for some Cambodians, some Chinese spicy food is difficult for them to accept, especially Sichuan spicy. "Sometimes when you eat well, you suddenly bite into peppercorns or peppercorns, and you lose your appetite," someone said.
It is undeniable that after Chinese food went to Cambodia, it did capture the hearts of many local foodies. Some restaurants have become "time-honored brands" that are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Chinese cuisine has long established itself in Cambodia
In fact, because people from Fujian and Guangdong immigrated to Cambodia very early, and started branches and businesses here. They brought their hometown specialties here, so Chinese restaurants appeared in Phnom Penh very early.
A Chinese ethnic in Phnom Penh noted that his grandfather was from Guangzhou, China, and that he had been with his family in Phnom Penh since he was a child, tasting Hong Kong-style morning tea and Teochew cuisine.
The Chinese believes that with the deepening of the friendship between Cambodia and China, more and more Chinese investors are coming to Cambodia for development. They opened restaurants in major cities such as Phnom Penh and Westport, bringing their hometown cuisine to Cambodia, with rich cuisines, and allowing more Cambodians to understand the charm of Chinese food culture.
In any case, Chinese cuisine is very popular among locals in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh.