Chan Mony – Authentic Cooking class in Cambodia

Destination : Siem Reap,

About the host

Experience the authentic lifestyle of a Cambodian family . Ms. Chan Mony will not just lead this local culture and cooking class in Cambodia – more specifically in Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located. She and her daughter (or her friend) will lead you through traditions and duties of housewifes in a local setting. The still live in wooden houses, partly build by her husband, who is a tuktuk driver. He also has a passion to repair and improve the house an its surroundings.

What a cooking class in Cambodia with a family means

You will dive into the daily life and cook the way family does it. We call it the authentic food adventures with local families, because the experience is very different from classes in restaurants. With Mony Chan the actual cooking is just part of a broader activity you will do. That’s how every cooking class in Cambodia done at Dine With The Locals Hosts look like.

Vegetarian option

Chan Mony is one of our hosts who can offer the meals as described or a vegetarian version (but you have to choose on either. For cost and time reasons they cannot provide one vegetarian and one meal with fish and chicken at the same time). So if you are a party of two, you need to find a compromise. 

The Menu

Ms. Chan Mony selected a few typical dishes she and her family like to eat. She also wants to promote her cooking style to guests from all over the world. She has a simple but very organised kitchen.

Somlor khtish trapang ( coconut milk with bamboo shoot and fish)

This is a favorite food for Khmer and foreigners. It’s a light bite, not to sweet and not to spicy. The bamboo shoots are cut fresh (and you will learn how to do it in this culture and cooking class in Cambodia). The regular dish is with fish, but the family can switch to tofu. There is also star gooseberry used. Most important are the leaves of a small tree, that grows right in the garden of the family.

Fried fish (or fried mushrooms)

The reason why you see so much fried fish, pork and chicken is food hygiene. When fridges were not that common, people had to ensure the food is safe. You will see that the fish is cleaned with salt, marinated, then cleaned with salt and gets small cuts in the skin, so it will be thoroughly done inside.

If you are vegetarian, and you tell us in advance, we can change the fried fis to fried mushroom. They are battered and then deep fried. The oyster mushrooms  Chan Mony uses mushroom grown on farms in Siem Reap – its a side income for many families.

Sour lime soup with chicken ( Ngam ngouv soup)

A culture and cooking class should give you insides into the daily life of people, and this soup is a perfect example. The limes are boiled in salty water and then kept kept in a jar for about a year. This will give this soup its unique taste. Dried squid and shrimps are added as well as fish sauce. There is a vegetarian option too, with tofu, mushrooms and soy sauce.

The experience

This local culture and cooking class in Siem Reap experience will show you insights into the Khmer culture. First, you can understand how water is pumped manually from the well – on a old pump made of cast iron. Then the family will explain to you all the plants and fruit trees they have. Depending on the season expect fresh lemon, pomegranate or jackfruit. Last but not least you will learn how to use the Krama or Kroma, the traditional Khmer scarf – it has endless uses in Cambodia.

Kanika shows one usecase of the Krama in Cambodia

Kanika shows one use of the Krama in Cambodia

PLEASE NOTE: This host is only available from 3pm onwards!

 

    Please use this form to request a booking.

    Adult = $25usd per person
    Child 6-12 = $12usd per person

    Please Select a Time

    Please arrange Tuktuk round-trip transfer (add $5usd per Tuktuk/4 guests)