chapter IThe Soul of Cambodia
Rice is the soul of the farmer in Cambodia. The tradition of rice production has existed since the birth of Khmer land, before the earliest of the temples were constructed by the ancient Khmer kings. For the Khmer people rice is a woman and is a mother. She has a name and each of her names (each crop) must be addressed with “Miss”. You may have heard of one of them, “Miss Malis”, known in English as Jasmine Rice.
chapter IILife Cycle
When a farmer’s infant is born, the baby takes part in a birth ritual in which rice is the soul. The baby has direct contact with this ‘white gold’ by sitting on a basket of rice to receive empowerment. There are seven cycles of life in the journey of a Cambodian, from birth to death. Each of these cycles is accompanied by a ritual with rice, for rice is the soul of the nation, the mother of nutrition, the witness of life.
chapter IIIOur Rice
Amok Khmer strives to support this beautiful but forgotten culture of man and nature by supporting the village economy of rice production. The rice you are enjoying at Amok Khmer is an indigenous Cambodian organic rice directly from the fields of the farmers. Every bite of the rice you have taken is a direct benefit to the farmers whose lives and culture rely on our support.
chapter IVA Human Story
In the early 1960s growing up in the floating village near Siem Reap, the young Sotho, the founder of Amok Khmer Cuisine today, watched her mother prepare a traditional Khmer dish, the well-known Amok.
She helped by picking herbs, condiments and spices that grew in the backyard of her garden, cut, ground and pounded these into an aromatic blend of flavours, that when steamed to perfection gives us this signature family Amok.
chapter VOur Signature
Amok, the national dish of Cambodia, is a subtle and aromatic dish of steamed snakehead fish with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, turmeric, garlic, chilli and coconut milk.
Sotho continues to embrace authentic cooking techniques from her mother, who was well-known for her Amok recipe. The flavour of this unique family recipe is shared with you as the perfectly balanced amok, the essence of Amok Khmer Cuisine.
chapter VIA Timeless Floating Life
In the floating villages, not far from Siem Reap, people and animals live on the water, in this microcosm that is beyond time. It is a timeless way of life that will never change.
The water hides countless resources that men and women will go to catch with the strength of their hands. When they cast their handmade net, we are sure that fish with unforgettable taste will come to the table.
chapter VIIYour Chef
Prom BunthoeunHead Chef, F&B ManagerBunthoeun has returned to join the Montra team after a previous spell with us of three years. He began with a study year at Paul Dubrule hospitality school before a decade in hotel F&B. Born in Kandal province, he is married – his wife is also a chef – with one daughter and two sons. To relax he enjoys a game of volleyball or reading and listening to the news.
chapter VIIISharing Our Secrets
Amok Khmer offers several cooking classes for guests interested in Khmer cuisine, including a hotel-based experience, a class in the beautiful surrounds of Sala Kdei and the ‘Celebrity Chef Cooking Class’ which follows in the footsteps of the famous television chefs that have passed through Cambodia on their global culinary journeys.