CAMBODIA

The World’s First Noodle

Nom banh chok is a quintessential Cambodian breakfast noodle dish beloved by locals, who claim they were the first noodles ever created…

These type of noodles are laboriously made by hand in heavy stone mills from fermented rice. In many markets, you can see women carrying baskets of nom banh chok from a pole balanced on their shoulders. The noodles are flavoured with a fish-based green curry made from lemongrass, turmeric root and lime, and are accompanied by crisp raw vegetables including cucumbers, banana blossom, water lily stems, and fresh herbs such as basil and mint.

The history of nom banh chok goes back many years and is featured in an ancient legend about Thun Chey who was exiled from the Khmer Empire to China. And many Cambodians claim that this is where China got the idea for noodles!

If you want to try what may be the world’s first noodle yourself, join our ‘Khmer Culture & Breakfast’ tour.

Not far from the temples of Angkor is the small village of Preah Dak – a beautiful hamlet that specialises in traditional handmade handicrafts. Here you will also see artisans skilled in the making of nom banh jok.

Observe how the noodles are made and then get to try them yourself as you tuck into a delicious breakfast. Filled full of noodles, continue to another small village to see a street vendor preparing palm sugar. Palm trees are very important to Khmer people as they find uses for most of the plant including the stem, leaves, trunk, fruit and flowers. The palm juice has a distinct smell and flavour and is perfect for cooling down in the Cambodian heat.