Cambodia is taking a pungent, potent approach to food diplomacy: prepare for prahok

Mention Indian cuisine and curry might come to mind, while sushi is one of the most well-known dishes from Japan. But what food is generally associated with Cambodia?

If the country's government and people have their way, it will most certainly be prahok. Described as the secret ingredient in any Khmer kitchen, the salted, crushed and fermented fish paste is used as a seasoning or condiment to add depth of flavour to just about every dish. It's so pungent that it is also sometimes known as "Cambodian cheese", and is usually eaten with rice or vegetables, or as a dipping sauce.

As Rethy Chhem and Siriwat Chhem wrote in an article titled "Food Diplomacy for Cambodia's Nation Branding" - published late last month by the Asian Vision Institute (AVI), an independent think tank in Phnom Penh - the country is known for the splendid temples of Angkor, but few think of its rich culinary traditions that have been developed and refined over centuries.

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The authors point out that prahok provides a unique savoury sensation that "enhances and harmonises the four traditional basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty and bitter". Khmer cuisine also commonly uses sugar, lime, and fish sauce to bring out the flavours of local ingredients, in combination with fresh herbs and fragrant spices such as lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric.

Apart from being an essential element of a country's intangible culture and one of the most powerful symbols of national identity, Rethy and Siriwat also noted that "food can be strategically deployed as a diplomatic tool for nation branding".

Fish amok is among the Cambodian dishes that will be promoted under the country's food diplomacy programme. Photo: Shutterstock alt=Fish amok is among the Cambodian dishes that will be promoted under the country's food diplomacy programme. Photo: Shutterstock

They noted that Cambodia had not yet fully exploited this extraordinary opportunity for nation branding until recently, when food became one of the pillars of its cultural diplomacy strategy. When contacted by This Week in Asia, Siriwat Chhem said an official document on economic diplomacy, in which food diplomacy was a key element, was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Khmer language last month.

Speaking at the launch, foreign minister Prak Sokhonn said other Cambodian dishes that would be promoted included fish amok (a traditional stew-like dish), pomelo salad, somlor koko (a spice-based soup), somlor ktis (pineapple curry), prahok ktis (a spicy dish made with minced pork and, of course, prahok), and num banh chok (a type of rice noodle commonly eaten at breakfast).

Two programmes will also be established as part of the food diplomacy initiative: one to train Khmer cooks to serve in Cambodian embassies overseas, while another will provide Khmer culinary knowledge to ambassadors' spouses.

"Both of these programmes will fall under what the [foreign minister] calls 'kitchen diplomacy'", said Siriwat Chhem, who is also director of the Center for Inclusive Digital Economy at the AVI, who added that the ministry's economic diplomacy team is currently finalising a book on Khmer food called The Taste of Angkor.

On the subject of prahok, he compared the iconic ingredient to anchovies, which are extremely salty and pungent in any form and used to season and flavour sauces and dishes in Italian and French cuisine. "Used in small amounts, [prahok] can add character and body to a dish without overpowering the palette," Siriwat Chhem said.

Cambodia is known for the splendid temples of Angkor, but few think of its rich culinary traditions that have been developed and refined over centuries. Photo: AFP alt=Cambodia is known for the splendid temples of Angkor, but few think of its rich culinary traditions that have been developed and refined over centuries. Photo: AFP

To further drive home the country's food-diplomacy efforts, Bunna Vann, a political science masters student at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, said Cambodia could also advertise in international media outlets or television shows, and even organise cooking competitions in which foreigners could taste foods prepared with prahok.

Citing Cambodia's upcoming roles as host of the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in June and chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit next year, Vann - who is also an Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship recipient - said "prahok should be at the core of the menu to serve foreign leaders on these occasions".

When it came to cuisine from Cambodia, he said his personal favourites included fried pahok and prahok ktis - the latter also being a favourite of Singaporean Diana Saw, who has lived in Cambodia since 2006, where she ran a social enterprise and a guest house in Siem Reap.

Her favourite version of prahok ktis involves a small amount of prahok stir fried with meat, usually pork; pea eggplant; and coconut milk. Palm sugar, garlic, shallots and chilli could also be used, she said.

"You can eat prahok ktis with rice, or have it as a dip, with fresh and raw vegetables such as long beans, cabbage, cucumber and carrots," said Saw, who also speaks Khmer. "It is a very flavourful dish and was one of my favourite things to order whenever we ate out at a Cambodian restaurant."

Num banh chok is a type of rice noodle commonly eaten at breakfast. Photo: Shutterstock alt=Num banh chok is a type of rice noodle commonly eaten at breakfast. Photo: Shutterstock

While admitting that prahok is pungent and has "an unattractive, greyish colour", she does not see it as an impediment to promoting the dish.

"It may not look attractive, but every single visitor I introduced prahok ktis to loved it. It really is delicious," Saw said, adding that she thought it was "nowhere near as bad as surstromming" - the fermented sour herring that is traditional to Swedish cuisine.

Quoting German food critic and author Wolfgang Fassbender, who once wrote that "the biggest challenge when eating surstromming is to vomit only after the first bite, as opposed to before", Saw quipped: "And surstromming is pretty famous, no?"

Other Asian countries that have promoted food as part of their cultural diplomacy include the likes of Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea.

Described by analysts as "gastrodiplomacy", this includes the "Global Thai" programme, launched by Bangkok in 2002, to boost the number of Thai restaurants around the world and persuade more people to visit the kingdom.

It also includes the "Malaysia Kitchen for the World" programme, which is aimed not just at promoting Malaysian restaurants overseas but also strengthening the image of the country through its cuisine.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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