Cambodian edible plants & flowers (part I)

Cambodian food, perhaps the oldest cuisine of Southeast Asia, with the proof of history on the ancient temples’ wall which shows that Cambodia has been on trend since the start, for example cooking with fire, making use of edible flowers, foraging, fermenting, preserving, and pickling. The way people eat can be through sharing plates, cooking dishes on fire, mixing vegetables, and fermenting fish and meat for long term used and making used of plants and flowers from the wild as well.

Caption: Jelly flowers or Siam Tulip, bloom once a year (now - edible both flowers and tube and grown in the wild only)

 

EDIBLE FLOWERS

Flowers have long been used in Cambodia’s cuisine and many of the flowers are native to the country. When Cambodians go for wild greens, they’re also looking for edible flowers. Others are cultivated in home gardens as for cooking. Edible flowers in Cambodia are used both raw and cooked, in everything from salads and soups to curries and desserts.  

Please note:

• Some flowers are all year round,
• Some are blooming only once a year.
• Many plants give flowers in April or May and some others give flowers in rainy season between July and August.

Here in Cambodia, we commonly eat the seeds, fruit, flowers, leaves, roots, and stems of many plants, wild and domestic. Plants can be eaten and used differently such as

•  Stem & shoots: bamboo shoot, cardamom
•  Pods &tube: taro, lotus, ginger, potato, waterlily
•  Seeds: pumpkin, sun flowers, peanut, soybean
•  Leaves: many types including Slender amaranth,
•  Flowers: water hyacinths,
• Vegetable-fruit, leaf, stem, and bark are used

BELOW IS THE LIST OF EDIBLE FLOWERS AND PLANTS

Flamingo Bill / hummingbird, Sesbania grandifloraNeemtree flowers salad, a picture from Google as this is not the season so I have no photos of my own on this particular flower.

Big Trees

Plant  Names	Nature of plants	Local Names	Parts That Are Used	What They Are Used For
Plumerias or frangipani – native to Cambodia,	plant	ចំប៉ី / Champei	Flowers	The dry flowers can be used as tea. White frangipanis that are deep-fried like tempura.
Flamingo Bill / hummingbird, Sesbania grandiflora	plant	អង្គាដី / Angkadei	flowers, young leaves	Used in soups, e.g. Koko soup.
Tamarind flowers:	Plant	អំពិល / Ampil or ម្ជួរ / Mju	Flowers, young leaves, young fruit and ripe fruit	Used to add sour taste to soup
Neemtree flowers, neemtree or Indian lilac (Azadirachta indica), is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae.	Naturally grow at the paddy field, also planted at home	ស្តៅ / Sdao	Flowers, young leaves	Used as salad. The taste is bitter but very good for health so many older people really love it.
Moringa	Plant	ម្រុំ / Mrom	Leaves (seed for medical reason)	In soup, e.g Koko soup.

Mint, holy basil, pepper leave and Spanish ThymeRice paddy herbMoringaSaw leaf/long corianderSponge gourd​ for stir fry

Shrub / garden plants

Plant  Names	Nature of plants	Local Names	Parts That Are Used	What They Are Used For
Katuk (Saurolous andrygynus), also known as star gooseberry, or sweet leaf bush	Nature	ស្លឹកងប់ / Ngob	Leaves	Soups
Jasmine	plant	ម្លិះ / Ma-lis	Flowers	Dry flowers normally used mix with tea (flowers are used for religious reason, wedding ceremony)
Climbing Wattle	Plant for commericial use	ស្អំ / Sa-om	Leaves	Stir fry with egg
Ivy gourd leaves	Nature	ស្លឹកបាស / Bas leave	Leaves	Soup
Wild betel leaves	Nature	ជីកាប្លូ / Ka-plu	Leaves	Salad
Pepper / Chili		ម្ទេស / Mtes	Fruit and    Leaves	Soup
Wild spider flower, Spider Flower		មមាញ / Mormeanh	Flower, Stem and Leaves	Pickle (goes well with grilled fish)
Mint		ជីអង្កាម / Ji Angkam	Leaves	Salad, Side vegetable as herbs and Cocktail
Spanish Thyme​ (Coleus amboinicus)		ជីត្រចៀកជ្រូក/ត្រចៀកដំរី / Sleuk Trojeak Jruk	Leaves	Salad &  garnish
Rice paddy herb, latin: Limnophila aromatica)	naturally grow at the paddy field, or grown for commercial use	ម្អម / ma- om	Whole Stem & leaves	Used in a fish sour soup or hot pot, garnish
Asian Coriander	plant	ក្រសាំងទំហំ / Krasaing Tomhum	Leaves	it is used to eat with Ballot or mixed in salad
Saw leaf/long coriander	plant	ជីរណា / Ji Rona	Leaves	used in a salad or in a soup, garnish
Garlic chive flowers	Plant	ស្លឹកខ្ទឹម / Sleuk Khtim	Leaves	Garnish, soup
Holy basil		ម្រះព្រៅ / Mras Prov	Leaves	Hot stir fry & garnish on the soup
Fishwort - fish mint​	Plant	ជីម្លូ / Ji Mlu	Leaves	salad
Water Spinach /morning glory	Plant	ត្រកួន / Trokoun	Stem	Soups, stirred fried, salad, lab, papaya salad, boiled as side vegetable for many dishes, including Teuk Kreung (Asian Mackerel Vegetable Dip Sauce)
Lemongrass	Plant	ស្លឹកគ្រៃ / Sleuk Krey	Stem &   Leaves	Tea (lose weight), and Ingredient in curry and uncountable dishes
Pumpkin flower	Plant	ផ្កាល្ពៅ / Lapao	Stem, flowers & young leaves	Soups, sti fry, boil to be side vegetable
Fragrant pandan	Plant	ស្លឹកតើយ / Sleuk Toy	Leaves	Tea, Used in rice cooking for the aroma, Dessert, for color and aroma, Sweet, Juice & Smoothie
Noni leaves (Morinda citrifolia )	Plant	ញរ / Nhor	Leaves & Fruits (medicine)	Used in Amok​ & fruit used to soak in wine for medicine
Banana blossom: ​the banana blossom is the large purple tear-shaped bud that, if left, will form a bunch of bananas.	Plant	ត្រយ៉ូងចេក / Troyong Chek	-   Flowers -   Stem -   Leaves	Shredded banana flower is most often eaten raw, in a salad or as side dish to Cambodian noodle. Many Cambodian dishes such as Cambodian noodle, Kho-mam, and Teuk Kreung (Asian Mackerel Vegetable Dip Sauce)are served with a side dish of shredded banana flower. They can used in the soup too. -        Leaves used to wrap dessert and sweet
Sesbania sesben:	Nature, grow for commercial use	ផ្កាស្នោរ / phka snor	flowers	Pickle - that uses (pickled flowers).​​​ By marinating the flowers with rice water (the water that’s left after washing rice), salt and sugar for few days, you can enjoy another simple and tasty dish.
Sesbania bispinosa - a cheerful yellow flower.	Nature, grow for commercial use	ស្នោរ / snor	flower	Pickle, Side vegetable with the dried leaves being made into tea and the pods, which look like string beans also being eaten.
Marigold		ស្បៃរឿង / sbai reoung	Young leaves	Side vegetable
Aloe Vera		ប្រទាលកន្ទុយក្រពើ	Leaves	Inside flesh is used for cold body temperature drink Smoothie or dessert

 

A complete Cambodian noodle dish: green soup, side vegetables and rice noodle.A complete Cambodian noodle dish: green soup, side vegetables and rice noodle. The soups can be green soup, red curry with different kinds of meatFragrant pandan commonly used in dessert and sweet for its aroma and tasty!Side vegetables of Cambodian noodles.Turtle’s nail from the wild

From the wild

Plant  Names	Nature of plants	Local Names	Parts That Are Used	What They Are Used For
Turtle’s nail	Wild​​​ (bloom one a year, Jul)	ក្រចកអណ្តើក គេយក	Young leaves	-        Soup -        Side vegetable for teuk kroeung -        Stir fry
Curcuma, Siam Tulip "Siam Ruby" known locally as  Jelly flower (Curcuma sparganifolia)	Wild (bloom one a year, Jul)	ចាហួយ ឬត្រចៀកក្រាញ់	Flower &Tube/Root	-        Flowers boiled and used as side vegetable -        Tube used as dessert “Jelly”
Cardamom		ក្រវ៉ាញ	Stem	Stir fry
Sand ginger		ប្រស់ស្វា	Young leaves	Salad
Pepper elder (peperomia pellucida)		ក្រសាំងទាប	Stem	-        Salad -        Stir fry -        Garnish
Emblica		កន្ទួតព្រៃ​ / Kontout prey (wild star gooseberry)	Fruit	Soak in the honey and sugar, create juice that helps increase the men's ability.

Lotus fruitWater HyacinthsStem of Water lily

Water plants
Lotus	Nature, grown for commercial use	ឈូក	-   Fruit -   Pod/Stem -   Tube	Stir fry Soup Snack
Water Hyacinth Flowers	naturally grow in the lake or pond	កំប្លោក	Flowers & Pod	Side vegetable in Cambodian noodle mixed with other fresh vegetables, also in Teuk Kreung (Asian Mackerel Vegetable Dip Sauce).
Water Lily	naturally grow at the pond, grow for commercial use	ដើមព្រលិត/រំចង់	Stems &  Pod	Soups,​​ salad, and eat as side vegetables to various dish such as Teuk Kreung (Asian Mackerel Vegetable Dip Sauce), khmer noodle, plea,
Water Mimosa	grow in the lake naturally	កញ្ឆែត /Kanchhet	Stems	Salad, side vegetables, soup