Category Archives: Cambodian food

Cambodian food

Young tamarind leaves and an Isaan-inspired sour chicken soup

Posted on October 25, 2017 by

Green tamarind and tamarind leaves are back at my go-to Cambodian market, providing an opportunity to explore cooking with these rare Southeast Asian sour treats. Dried tamarind fruit is of course a standard souring agent for cuisines ranging from Persia … Continue reading →

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Grilled long eggplant, two ways

Posted on August 6, 2017 by

It is a nice day for grilling, and I’d like to use up a few ugly vegetables I have kicking around in the fridge. Some lovely hardwood smoke will do wonders to make these guys shine, and the preparation couldn’t … Continue reading →

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Edible Southeast Asian tree and bush leaves

Posted on January 5, 2017 by

Happy New Year greetings! Although I wasn’t able to post as much as I would have liked to in 2016, I was able to continue my careful exploration of interesting finds at our MANY Asian markets in Philadelphia (I now … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, Cambodian food, Indian food, Thai/Lao food | 3 Comments

The fresh herb section

Posted on March 3, 2016 by

Fresh herbs are absolutely key for several Southeast Asian cooking styles. In particular, culinary traditions of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam have firm foundations on green herbs. In most cases fresh herbs will be the variable that will take a dish from mediocre to extraordinary. This post highlights common herbs with a visual directory. Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, - Guides, Cambodian food, Thai/Lao food, Vietnamese food | Tagged | 4 Comments

Sour krasang fruit for Cambodian soups and dips

Posted on December 13, 2015 by

Recently I found a rare Southeast Asian cooking ingredient in the freezer section of my local Cambodian market: krasang fruit ក្រសាំង (pronounced “ga-sang”). The flesh and seeds of this fruit are used to sour soups and dips, much like the … Continue reading →

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Tiny eggplants and prahok pork dip

Posted on September 13, 2014 by

I found tiny pea-sized eggplants at my local Cambodian market in North Philly.  This fruit (Solanum torvum, aka turkey berry) is commonly used in Thailand, and is known there as “cluster eggplant”, or makheua phuong มะเขือพวง.  In Thai food, perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, Cambodian food, Thai/Lao food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Three essential Cambodian flavors and sour beef soup

Posted on September 10, 2014 by

Lately I’ve been exploring prepared food containers of the refrigerator section at a my favorite Asian markets as well as expanding my understanding of Cambodian food. The nearest Asian market to my house is Seng Hong Oriental Market, over on … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, - Recipes, Cambodian food, Thai/Lao food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

7th Street’s Friendly Market

Posted on July 24, 2014 by

A few days ago I gave a rough breakdown on the many markets on 7th Street.  I didn’t mean to leave out an important highlight on South 7th: the Friendly Market, a market with truly unusual food products.  The sign … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, Cambodian food, Myanmar/Burmese food, Nepali food, Thai/Lao food | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Markets of South Philly’s 7th Street

Posted on July 21, 2014 by

Among Philadelphia’s many hidden charms are its neighborhoods.  Some of those neighborhoods can transport you to other lands, complete with markets, restaurants, religious temples, and even street food–from sources that are commonplace in other countries.  Though long gone for France, … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, - Featured Markets, Cambodian food, Myanmar/Burmese food, Nepali food, Thai/Lao food | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Long peppers found

Posted on July 14, 2014 by

I have been looking for this spice for quite some time.  Online references imply that it should be easily found at South Asian markets.  I finally ended up finding it at a local North Philly Cambodian market. This spice is … Continue reading →

Posted in - Featured Food Discoveries, Cambodian food, Central Asia/Uyghur food, Thai/Lao food | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments