Samlor kako

Samlor kako, also known as samlor korko is a traditional national dish, a spicy fish soup with various vegetables. In Khmer, samlor means soup, and korko means to mix or to stir, so it is a stirred, mixed soup cooked with an abundance of vegetables according to preference. Typically, pumpkin, papaya, green banana, eggplant, and long beans are used in preparing samlor korko, but any available vegetables will do. According to a local legend, the dish has been the king's favorite, and there used to be hundreds of vegetables and fruits in the popular soup. Fish meat is mixed with prohok, a fermented fish sauce, and then all the vegetables are added to the pot along with boiling water so the dish can be slowly cooked over moderate heat. Due to numerous ingredients used in the dish, it takes some time to prepare it, but the results are always worth it for the complex range of flavors the dish offers.