Gastronomy: Samrong Ya's delicious smoked fish

The villagers of Samrong Ya commune in Puok district (Siem Reap) make smoked fish (treï cha'eu).

According to Mrs Prin Samban, a villager who prepares smoked fish, around twenty families in the Samrong Ya commune have been choosing this activity for several years, to supplement their income from rice farming. This avoids them being tempted to move to Phnom Penh to look for work out of season.

The traditional method

Smoking fish has been used by the Khmers for centuries. In fact, this technique is above all a means of storage that has endured. It avoids the need for refrigerators or ice packs. Smoked fish can be kept for several weeks in the open air without any problem.

Cambodia is known for its many different fish products. Cambodia's smoked fish is particularly popular and is a much-used ingredient in other dishes such as salads and soups.

Fumage

Using a skewer, the women arrange the fish close together so that they stick together during the fumage. They are then placed at a reasonable distance from the heat source to ensure that the cooking process is as slow as possible. As soon as they are completely dehydrated, fish are removed from the traditional smokehouse.

Unlike preparations such as brines or cured meats, fish intended for smoking are not beheaded. They are simply gutted and scaled. The fish are first exposed to the sun before going into the smoker. The fuel used for this traditional appliance is either charcoal, paddy husk or, more rarely, copra.

CG – Photographs by Hang Seak – AKP