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Next: 14 to 16 Apr 2027

Khmer New Year

Cambodia's new year, with amok in banana leaf and kroeung, the fresh spice paste of lemongrass, galangal and turmeric.

Young women are seated on stage during a celebration to mark the Khmer New Year in Lithonia, GA.
Photo: Sam Sith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices for Khmer New Year

Cambodians return to their home villages for Choul Chnam Thmey, with offerings at temples and a shared meal. A main dish is fish amok, steamed in banana leaf in coconut milk with kroeung, a paste pounded from lemongrass, galangal, turmeric root, kaffir lime zest, garlic and shallot. Cambodian kampot pepper, known for its aroma, is often used with salt and lime as a dip. Because most of the spices are fresh roots and leaves rather than dried seeds, the flavours are bright and herbal.

The spices

GalangalA key root of kroeung.Kampot pepperCambodia's protected pepper, eaten with lime and salt.Kaffir limeZest and leaves flavour the paste.

Also part of it, and being written: Lemongrass (The citrus note of kroeung.).

About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Cambodian New Year" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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