Select your language

A little vendor near Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A guide to food and drink while traveling in Cambodia.

Food
Cambodian food is generally similar to Thai food but with fewer spices. While fish and rice are the staple in the Khmer diet, others including chicken, beef...are in abundance. Seafood is fresh and of reasonable price in the coastal areas. Khmer cuisine can be found served in a fine-dining restaurant accompanied with traditional Khmer performance or can be found at many street stalls.

For breakfast, the Cambodians normally have rice porridge with some small fried fish or noodle soup. For other meals, the Cambodians usually have steamed rice and soup served together with other dishes.

Besides Khmer cuisine, there is a wide array of internetional cuisine available for the travellers in Cambodia including Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, French Indian and Mediterranean. These are more likely found in restaurants in cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

There is a wide array of fresh fruits in Cambodia ranging from jack fruits, durian, lychees, pineapple, coconut, rambutan...to name only a few.

If you don't have a strong digestive system, then all the food should be well-cooked and salads should be avoided.

Drinks
Thanks to having abundant fresh fruits, Cambodia is awarded with beautiful fresh fruit juice which is found anywhere when you travel in Cambodia. Tea and coffee are also popular. The Cambodians would drink coffee with sweet condensed milk. Rice wine and local beer are found on the menu of all restaurants.
 
When travelling in Cambodia, please pay close attention to your drinks. Tap water must be boiled before it's drinkable. Ice may not be safe in some local restaurants. Bottled water can be bought almost everywhere.