Shop Now

(placeholder)

Khmer Simple and Light Desserts

Saturday, November 10, 2018 5:17 PM

A Brief Scholarly History on and of the Complexly Simple Cuisines of Cambodia - Part 3 of 4

By Evan Chorm (An American-reared boy having mixed Cambodian ancestry and heritage)

Like Western foods, Khmer food is all about the contrast. Instead of a very sweet ending with a chocolate cake, Khmers, as well as many parts of Asia, enjoy a simple and light ending to balance out the complex variety of flavors they had earlier from their entrées. It would be too overwhelming to have a very sweet dessert to end off highly flavored and/or seasoned foods. This is not to say that Khmer desserts are not sweet; they are naturally sweet using mostly coconut milk and/or palm sugar. And unlike their Thai and Laotian neighbors, Khmer use sticky rice only when it comes to desserts, and it is usually sided with an assortment of natural fruits, including coconuts, mangoes, and bananas. Many times, Khmer desserts are usually cool to compensate for the tropical heat of Cambodia.

Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15: CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: (1) RICE WINE TOPPED WITH COCONUT SHREDS; (2) BANANA TAPIOCA PUDDING WITH COCONUT MILK; (3) PUMPKIN CUSTARD; (4) RIPE MANGOES WITH COCONUT-FLAVORED STICKY RICE; AND (5) COCONUT WATER AND MILK JELLO.


Bibliography (Images)

Fig. 11. Red Wine Rice Dessert, Image 3000 x 2250, Available from: Foodiez Cafe, <http://foodiezcafe.website/sweet/How-to-make-sweet-rice-wine-recipes.html> (accessed August 2018.)

Fig. 12. Khmer Dessert, Image 470 x 512, Available from: Trip Advisor, <https://www.tripadvisor.ie/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g297390-d5451713-i241838030-Palate_Angkor_Restaurant_Bar-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Province.html/> (accessed August 2018.)

Fig. 13. Sang Khja Lapov, Image 1841 x 1300, Available from: Pinterest, <v> (accessed August 2018.)

Fig. 14. Mango with Sticky Rice, Digital image 600 x 900, Available from: Rasa Malaysia, <https://rasamalaysia.com/mango-sticky-rice/> (accessed August 2018.)

Fig. 15. Coconut Agar Agar Jelly Recipe, Image 419 x 235, Available from: Pinterest, <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/483785184963355613/ (accessed August 2018.)