Things to Know About Cambodian Culture

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Things to Know About Cambodian Culture

Cambodian culture has a rich and diverse history dating back centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. Throughout Cambodia's long history, its greatest source of inspiration has come from religion. Over the course of nearly two millennia, Cambodians have developed a unique Khmer faith from a syncretism of indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism.

This article contains information about the culture and traditions of the Kingdom of Cambodia that you should know before going to Cambodia .

What Are the Most Famous Cambodian Traditions?

The most well-known Cambodian traditions are listed below.

• Cheers: In Cambodia, “chul mouy” means cheers, and contrary to popular belief, it is said with every sip, not just before the first drink.
• Stay calm: Buddhism is the dominant religion in Cambodia and the people follow the Buddhist philosophy, therefore shouting, raising your voice or behaving aggressively is not welcomed.
• Dress code: When visiting temples, palaces or other important places in Cambodia, it is appropriate to wear clothing that falls below the knees and elbows.
• Taking off your shoes: In Cambodia, it is considered polite to take off your shoes when entering someone's home.
• Head and feet: In Cambodia, the head is considered the most sacred part of the body, while the feet are seen as the least sacred, and therefore, touching anyone's head is forbidden, while pointing at people is considered rude.
• Greeting: In Cambodia, the sampeah is the usual form of greeting, which involves pressing the palms together in front of the chest accompanied by a small bow, and the more important the person, the higher the hands are on the body.
• Handing objects: In Cambodia, it is considered rude to hand someone something with your left hand, while it is polite to give with both hands. Another polite way is to touch the right elbow with your left arm and extend the object with your right hand.
• Chopstick rule: After finishing a meal, chopsticks should be left over the bowl because chopsticks placed vertically in the bowl resemble incense sticks burned for the dead and are not considered a good omen.
• Food: The louder the lip smacking, slurping and chewing, the more the food is liked.
• Women and monks: In Cambodia, women and monks are forbidden from touching each other.

What is the clothing culture like in Cambodia?

Clothing is one of the most important aspects of culture in Cambodia. Cambodian fashion varies by ethnic group and social class. Khmer people traditionally wear a plaid scarf called a Krama. The long-popular traditional garment known as Sampot is an Indian-influenced costume that Cambodians have worn since the Funan period.

There is a strong Hindu influence in Cambodian fashion and as such Cambodians wear the Sampot on the lower body and often nothing above the waist except jewelry including bracelets and collars such as the Sarong Kor, a symbol of Hinduism.

As Buddhism began to replace Hinduism, Khmer people began to wear Khmer-style blouses, shirts and trousers.

What is the Food Culture Like in Cambodia?

Cambodian food culture has many similarities to the cuisines of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia due to constant historical interaction and shared influences. Cambodian cuisine uses fish sauce in soups, stir-fries, and as a condiment. Almost every meal is eaten with a bowl of rice, and typically Cambodians eat their meals in at least three or four separate courses.

Indian-inspired dishes in Cambodian cuisine include many types of curries known as kari, which require dried spices such as star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, as well as local ingredients that give the dishes a distinct flavor, such as lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and galangal.

Ubiquitous in southeastern Cambodia but virtually unknown elsewhere, bánh tráng reflects a strong Vietnamese influence. The area between Siem Reap and Kampong Thom, where many Cambodians of Chinese descent live, maintains Chinese culinary culture and features Khmer versions of many Chinese dishes.

Famous Cambodian Dishes

Famous Cambodian dishes are listed below.

• Samlor is afraid
• Nom banh chok
• Amok
• Just a little bit of your time
• Kari sach moan
• What a shame
• Sngor sit on each side
• Kari saraman
• Noam krauch thlong
• Kha trei sway kchai
• Kangkep baob

What is the entertainment culture like in Cambodia?

Cambodia's entertainment industry began to flourish in the late 1970s. Cambodian entertainment culture ranges from elegant traditional arts such as the apsara dance to the city's cocktail lounges and clubs.

Cambodian Dances

Cambodian dances can be divided into three main categories: classical dance, folk dance, and regional dance. Khmer classical dance is famous for using hands and feet to express emotions and has 4,000 different movements.

Khmer folk dances performed for an audience are fast-paced and the movements and gestures are not as stylized as classical Khmer dance. Cambodian folk dance music is played by a Mahori orchestra. A popular folk dance is the Cambodian coconut dance, a dance performance involving coconuts with male and female dancers.

Cambodian folk dances are types of dances performed at social events and such dances include Romvong, Rom Kbach, Rom Saravan and Lam Leav.

Cambodian Music

Cambodian music has been heavily Westernized since the 1960s and 1970s. The Cambodian pinpeat ensemble is traditionally heard in pagodas on festive occasions. Pinpeat plays the roneat ek (lead xylophone), roneat thung (low bamboo xylophone), kong vong touch and kong vong thom (small and large sets of tuned gongs), sampho (double-sided drum), skor thom (two large drums) and sralai (four-reed instrument).

Places to See to Understand Cambodian Culture

Places that reflect Cambodian culture are listed below.

• Kratie
• Phnom Penh
• Koh Ker
• Ta Prohm
• Khmer Rouge Killing Fields
• Banteay Srei
• Cambodia War Museum
• Angkor Wat

You can travel to the places listed above by obtaining a tourist visa for the Kingdom of Cambodia .