Num Kom
| Num Kom | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | នំគម |
| Other names | Num khom; Nom kom; Num korm |
| Dish types | Steamed dish; Dessert |
| Subjects | Food & Foodways; Celebrations & Life Passages; Religion & Spiritual Life |
| Related dishes | Num Ansom Chek |
Pyramid-shaped steamed Cambodian rice cake filled with grated coconut, palm sugar and sesame.
Num Kom (Khmer: នំគម) is a pyramid-shaped steamed Cambodian rice cake filled with grated coconut, palm sugar and sesame. (Wikipedia: Num kom)
Cultural context
Num kom is a traditional Cambodian steamed rice cake of glutinous rice flour filled with grated coconut, palm sugar and toasted sesame seeds and wrapped in banana leaves in a pyramid shape. (Wikipedia: Num kom) It is traditionally prepared for major festivals including Pchum Ben, Khmer New Year and weddings, and its origins are described as deeply rooted in Khmer culture with a strong influence of Brahmanism from the Khmer Empire era. (Wikipedia: Num kom) The Royal Academy of Cambodia notes that the cake's presence in traditional ceremonies dates to the ancient period, with some documents linking its use to the reign of King Jayavarman VII, and researcher Heang Rith states that num kom symbolises the earth and the body of the goddess Uma. (Wikipedia: Num kom) In the account published by 196 Flavors, the pyramid shape is associated with the Yoni while the cylindrical num ansom represents the Linga, and the two cakes are always paired; women gather to prepare them for family and friends on special occasions. (196 Flavors)
Preparations and recipes
- Nisha of The Magic Saucepan, published by 196 Flavors
- Glutinous rice flour dough filled with sesame, coconut and palm sugar, wrapped into banana leaf pyramids and steamed.
Regional and community variations
Cambodian traditional rice cakes come in different shapes, sizes and textures, including num bot, the banana-filled num ansom chek, the pork-filled savoury num ansom chrouk, and num chang, a savoury dumpling with pork, sausage and beans derived from the Chinese sticky rice dumpling. (196 Flavors)