Spices of Kampot
A Cambodian river town whose pepper, with a protected geographical indication, was prized by French chefs.
Traded and grown here
Best time: February to May.
Kampot lies on a river near the Gulf of Thailand. Pepper has been grown in Cambodia for a long time, and Kampot pepper was an export of French colonial times. Farms were abandoned during the Khmer Rouge period and were revived afterwards.
Spices and trade
Black, red and white pepper are made from the same plant at different stages and by different processing. Kampot pepper has a European geographical indication, and farms are small, mostly family-run, and often organic.
The place and its people
The town has French colonial architecture and a quiet river. Crab with fresh green Kampot pepper is a famous local dish in nearby Kep.
Visiting
Many farms offer tours, with pepper harvested between about February and May.
A trail idea for Kampot
- A pepper farm See the vines and processing.
- Kep crab market Eat crab with green pepper.
- Bokor Hill Visit the old hill station.
- Kampot riverfront Watch the sun set over the river.
Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kampot Province" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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