SOMLOR SLEK BAS

Slek Bas

Slek Bas - Vine-vegetable or Ivy gourd is scattered wildly in Cambodia, especially in the mountain area. Slek Bas is also grown at home crawling on the ground or climbing along the fence sometimes along the poles. It has an ivy shape and grown like morning glory with curly string at the tip.The taste is somewhat like watercress and spinach but more mineral bite. Another similar name is “Derm Kabas” which sounds almost the same but it’s a cotton plant. Do not get mixed up. Cambodian immigrants brought their native flavor to many parts of the world. In US, Slek Bas is widely grown in hot places like Long Beach, CA, Florida, Arizona where Cambodian is highly populated. Recently there is an increasing number of Slek Bas available selling at Asian market.

Slek Bas is very important vegetable for Cambodian and it is used in varieties of authentic soup:
-somlor prohaer – mixed vegetable soup with fermented fish and lemongrass base.
-somlor somlouk – mixed vegetable soup with fermented fish base
-sgnou lek bas with pork rib/chicken in clear broth
-char lek bas trolob klanh – saute slek bas with oil, salt and pepper

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"Kabocha"

Cambodian pumpkin was brought to Japan by Portuguese sailors in 1500’s which leading to the name kabocha. The Japanese named kabocha after Kambuja or Kampuchea(Cambodia). In Khmer language, we call it Lpoeu. Portuguese call it “Cambodia abóbora.”

Lpoeu is prepared in many ways in Khmer cooking.
-Cha lpoeu sach jrouk/monn( pork or chicken stir fry pumpkin)
-somlor kohkor (vegetarian type of soup)
-somlor proher(another type of vegetarian soup with smoke fish)

For dessert:
-lpoeu songkja (stuffed coconut milk and egg custard)very popular dessert in Cambodia.
-lpoeu kthih (pumkin with coconut milk in syrup style)

These are just a few menu to name them.

*When shopping, look for dark green skin and heavy Lpoeu. Darker and heavier means the pumkin is mature and rich in vitamin (E). The texture is a little sticky when eating, that is the best pumkin. Good and mature pumkin should look like the picture above or even darker is better. Pka lpoeu (pumpkin flower) is edible.