Nom Banh Chok – Sam Khmer Noodles

Khmer Rice Noodles or known as ‘Nom Banh Chok’ by Khmer has been consumed in ancient Khmer civilisation, as we all know rice is a staple food in Asian culture. Today, Nom Banh Chok is a popular and represent as a traditional food in Cambodia. ‘Nom Banh Chok’ generally refer to the traditional rice noodles which can be served food staple or a side dish.

Rice, a cereal grain originated thousands of years ago in Asia, in a broad arc stretching from eastern India through to Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, northern Vietnam and southern China. The domestication of rice is considered one of the most important developments in human history over 10,000 years.

The traditional method for cultivating rice is flooding the fields while, or after, setting the young seedlings. This simple method requires sound planning and servicing of the water damming and channeling, but reduces the growth of less robust weed and pest plants that have no submerged growth state, and deters vermin. While flooding is not mandatory for the cultivation of rice, all other methods of irrigation require higher effort in weed and pest control during growth periods and a different approach for fertilizing the soil.

The varieties of rice are typically classified as long-, medium-, and short-grained. The rice use to make Nom Banh Chok is long-grained. The edible seed is a grain (caryopsis) 5–12 mm long and 2–3 mm thick.

The Making of Khmer Rice Noodles – Nom Banh Chok

Method used to produce traditional Khmer Rice Noodles during the past have not been systematically recorded, therefore Sam Khmer Noodles, at it best effort reviews the classification and processing of nom banh chok by visiting one of the family in Preah Dak to better understand from farm to dining table.

Classification Based on Major Molding Methods

Nom Banh Chok is using Extruding Method by extruded dough into strips directly into a boiling water.

Classification Based on Moisture Content

Fresh Noodles

Procedure

The full process make take up to few days from selection of raw rice, cleaning raw rice, soaking, wet grinding until the final boiled and shaping.

Step by Step – Sam Khmer Noodles arranged on site experience at Preah Dak, the home of famous ‘Nom Banh Chok’ with a family group from Brazil.

In February 2018, we visited Mrs. Team Hup and shared this experience with a family from Brazil.

Sam Khmer Noodles, started in 03 April 2016 serves it signature Samlor Khmer and Samlor Cari first at Sok San Area, located near to the neighborhood at Wat Svay Dangkum. For the past 2 years, we promote this signature dish to tourists and locals a dining experience, which is slightly different from the one from street vendor or stall at the market. Sam Khmer Noodles in cooperation with Kdeung Cafe open its 2nd outlet in Wat Damnak Area in November 2017. Kdeung Cafe, an Eco-friendly Coffee Shop is promoting healthy food and one of it best effort is helping the community from all over Siem Reap province by encouraging them to sell from farm to dining table to earn a sustainable income.

Samlor Khmer ingredients are commonly found in fresh market consists of coconut milk, prahok, snakehead fish, fish roe, lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, salt and finger root. The cooking method is not complicated at all, however, it is best to debone the fish carefully after boiled and then pound it with lemongrass, turmeric, ginger root and garlic, best to use conventional mortar and pestle.

Samlor Kari ingredients consists of Kapi (Shrimp paste), star anise, dried red chilli, and curry herbs which need to be fried to aromatic and flavor before adding chicken and other the rest of the ingredients to boiled.

Cambodia Chefs Culinary and Lifestyle Magazine consolidated at least 5 signatures from top Cambodian Chefs on making Nom Banh Chok, including Kampot and Salmor Prahal, along with Samlor Khmer and Samlor Kari.