Num banhchok

Num banhchok (Khmer: នំបញ្ចុក, num bânhchŏk Khmer pronunciation: [nom ɓaɲcok]) are lightly fermented Cambodian rice noodles and a breakfast noodle dish.^[2]

banhchok "បញ្ចុក" translates to "to feed" in Khmer language.

Preparation

Num banhchok is made by soaking rice for 2–4 hours and grinding it into a liquidy paste. The paste is pressed into round shapes and dried inside calico bags. Then it is pulverized and turned into a viscous paste, which is extruded into boiling water. The noodles are boiled for 3–4 minutes and transferred to cold water.^[4]

Variations

There are many variations of num banhchok across the country.

• Num banhchok samlor proher (សម្លរប្រហើរនំបញ្ចុក) with a base made out of
  coconut cream.^[2]
• Num banhchok Siem Reap (នំបញ្ចុកសៀមរាប) shares the same ingredients as num banhchok samlor proher, but has a thinner consistency when no coconut milk or coconut cream is added. Sometimes fish sauce is used to replace prahok, while others argue that without prahok it's not num banhchok Siem Reap.^[2]
• Num banhchok samlor Khmer (នំបញ្ចុកសម្លខ្មែរ) with a base made out of
  green kroeung with pounded fish and varying amount of lemongrass with or without the addition of coconut milk. It is served with a peanut-based relish.^[2]
• Num banhchok samlor teuk trei phaem with a base made out of coconut milk or coconut cream, and a sour and sweet (pahem) sauce made out of ingredients, such as fish sauce, smoked fish, grated coconut, ground peanuts and tamarind juice.^[2]
• Num banhchok samlor namya (នំបញ្ចុកសម្លណាំយ៉ា) or num banhchok ktis trei with a red curry (samlor cari) base made out of
  red kroeung and coconut milk with fish and often shrimp paste and fish sauce.^[2]
• Num banhchok samlor cari (នំបញ្ចុកសម្លការី) with red curry base made out of coconut milk-based red kroeung with meat (chicken or beef, as well as optinal
  onions.^[2]
• Num banhchok Kampot – a regional specialty of
  fish cakes. Unlike other variations that are eaten at room temperature, num banhchok Kampot is typically eaten cold.^[2]
• Num banhchok samlor makod – a
  green peas included in Princess Rasmi Sobhana's 1965 "The Cambodian Cookbook" published by American Women's Club of Cambodia.^[5]

• 
  Num banhchok

  samlor proher
• 
  Num banhchok samlor cari
• 
  Num banhchok Kampot

Num banhchok is featured in a popular Khmer

In May 2019, the National Police began detaining former members and supporters of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) for attending noodle dinners^[8] that were deemed as political gatherings. In response co-founder of the CNRP Sam Rainsy called all Cambodians to gather for a bowl of num banhchok on 9 June "for the sake of friendship in the framework of the entire, giant Cambodian family."^[9]

His calls were soon followed by the Prime Minister Hun Sen who appealed to the members of his Cambodian People's Party to also gather the same day and eat "Khmer noodles of unity and solidarity",^[10] but denied it being a step towards negotiations with the opposition.^[11] It was estimated by Sen that from 7 to 8 million people would take part in the eating of num banhchok on 9 June.^[12]

Sen also proposed launching a promotional campaign for Cambodian food and culture,^[9] and two months later Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts began preparing an application for the inclusion of num banhchok in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.^[13]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Num banh chok.

• Mai, Jerry (4 February 2021). Fish curry vermicelli noodle soup (num banh chok). Asia Unplated. SBS
• Roney, Tyler (23 January 2019). Siem Reap: Making Num Banh Chok with Park Hyatt's Executive Chef. Remote Lands
• Kampot cold noodles. Food and Travel Magazine
• The history of num banh chok (Cambodian rice noodles)