Samlor Machu Trey
| Samlor Machu Trey | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Samlor machu; Sour fish soup |
| Dish types | Soup |
| Subjects | Food & Foodways; Family & Intergenerational Life |
| Related dishes | Samlor Machu Kroeung; Samlor Korko; Prahok Ktis |
Clear coconut-free sour fish soup with tamarind, aromatics and garden vegetables.
Samlor Machu Trey is a clear coconut-free sour fish soup with tamarind, aromatics and garden vegetables. (CambodgeMag)
Cultural context
Samlor machu trey is a clear, coconut-free sour and savoury fish soup made with freshwater fish, tamarind, aromatics, vegetables and herbs, with pineapple and prahok as options. (CambodgeMag) CambodgeMag describes it as everyday Khmer home cooking made across Cambodia that belongs to the family table rather than restaurant tables or special-occasion meals, appearing at Cambodian Sunday lunches and made from ingredients available at the local market or in the garden. (CambodgeMag) It is contrasted with amok, often reserved for restaurants and special occasions, is served with jasmine rice, and is described as little known outside Cambodia compared with Vietnamese pho and Malaysian laksa. (CambodgeMag)
Preparations and recipes
- CambodgeMag
- Bone-in freshwater fish poached in a tamarind broth with lemongrass, galangal, tomato and water spinach.
Regional and community variations
Samlor machu describes a category of sour soups rather than one fixed recipe, varying by region, family and season: the fish may be snakehead, catfish or another freshwater variety, some families add pineapple for a sweeter edge in a version sometimes called samlor machu youn while others stay strictly sour with fresh chilli, prahok may be added for depth, and vegetables may include water spinach, tomatoes, cabbage or local herbs. (CambodgeMag)