''Num banhchok'' ( km, នំបញ្ចុក, ) are lightly-fermented

Cambodian Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** Fo ...

rice noodles Rice noodles, or simply rice noodle, are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients. Sometimes ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and che ...

and a breakfast noodle dish. There are many regional variations of ''num banhchok'' across the country.

Preparation

The ''num banhchok'' are made by soaking the rice for 2–4 hours and grinding them into a liquidy paste. The paste is pressed into round shapes and dried inside calico bags. Then it is pulverized and turned into a viscous paste, which is extruded into boiling water. The noodles are boiled for 3–4 minutes and transferred to cold water.

In folklore

''Num banhchok'' is featured in a popular Khmer folk legend about an influential revolutionary and scholar Thonchey. Thonchey was exiled to China by the Khmer king, where Thonchey began making ''num banhchok'' as a way to make a living. The dish quickly gained popularity among the Chinese and eventually attracted even the attention of the

Chinese emperor ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heaven ...

. The emperor summoned Thonchey to bring ''num banhchok'' to his palace. Thonchey arrived and while the emperor was tasting the dish Thonchey managed to see the emperor's face, insulted him and was immediately thrown into jail. Soon Thonchey managed to get released and returned to the Khmer Empire.

In politics

In May 2019 the National Police began detaining former members and supporters of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) for attending noodle dinners that were deemed as political gatherings. In response co-founder of the CNRP

Sam Rainsy Sam Rainsy ( km, សម រង្ស៊ី, UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ; ; born 10 March 1949) is a Cambodian activist, economist and politician who most recently served as the Leader of the Opposition. He is now the interim leader of the Cambodia Nation ...

called all Cambodians to gather for a bowl of ''num banhchok'' on 9 June "for the sake of friendship in the framework of the entire, giant Cambodian family." His calls were soon followed by the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Hun Sen Hun Sen (; km, ហ៊ុន សែន, ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military commander who has served as the prime minister of Cambodia since 1985. He is the longest-serving head of government of Cambodia, and o ...

who appealed to the members of his Cambodian People's Party to also gather the same day and eat "Khmer noodles of unity and solidarity", but denied it being a step towards negotiations with the opposition. It was estimated by Sen that from 7 to 8 million people would take part in the eating of ''num banhchok'' on 9 June. Sen also proposed launching a promotional campaign for Cambodian food and culture, and two months later

Ministry of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many different countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) *Ministry ...

and Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts began preparing an application for the inclusion of ''num banhchok'' in the

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

References

External links

* Mai, Jerry (4 February 2021)
Fish curry vermicelli noodle soup (num banh chok)
Asia Unplated. SBS * Roney, Tyler (23 January 2019)
Siem Reap: Making Num Banh Chok with Park Hyatt’s Executive Chef
Remote Lands
The history of ''num banh chok'' (Cambodian rice noodles)
{{Soups Cambodian soups Vegetable dishes National dishes