I’m fast falling in love with the cuisine of Cambodia, which is kind of convenient as i’m stuck here! But one thing I tend to find when I am discovering new foods is that almost everything good I try has been borrowed from a neighboring country.
An example here would be Num Pang, a borrowed version of the Vietnamese Banh Mi.
To read more about banh mi click here.
To read more about num pang click here.
So enter nom krok a coconut custard cake that I discovered on the AMAZING 60 meter street.
To learn about the culinary heaven that is 60 meter street click here.
What is nom krok?
Nom krok derives from khanom khrok a traditional Thai desert. The desert is prepared from mixing sugar, rice flour, and coconut milk to form a dough surrounded by two batters one sweet and one salty.
This was originally a dish for the big wigs of the Thai Royal family, but can now be found as far afield as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and indeed Cambodia, where we know it as nom krok.
Where to eat it in Siem Reap?
I’ve seen nom krok throughout Cambodia, but had not gotten around to trying it. Then with a local guide in tow I went literally food exploring with the food explorer people and their tuk-tuk (why not).
This is how we ended up a 60 meter street. I’ve previously posted a link to my story about that place, 60 metre street is where you go for good food in Siem Reap.
So, back to nom krok! They basically mix it and cook it in front of you where it quickly forms into dough balls. The outside is a little crunchy, but then the inside is kept soft and almost creamy, duly helped by the coconut sauce.
What you are left with is the perfect sweet with a tinge of salt snack that can be eaten any time, rather than simply as a desert.
And that is the story of the coconut custard dish from Cambodia!
