How Cambodians Prefer Their Coffee

Are you curious to know how Cambodians prefer their coffee? Each and every country has their own unique takes on coffee. They all have their own uniqueness in flavor and aroma. They also prefer their coffee a little different from one another as well. Every cup of coffee represents different backgrounds and stories. The coffee preparation process also varies from each country as well. This is no exception when it comes to Cambodians and its coffee.

Beans Type

There are many different species of coffee beans around the world, along with the Robusta and Arabica.

Arabica is very aromatic and well known for its high quality. It also contains a slightly sweet flavor with a hint of chocolate aroma too. Plus, Arabica coffee has a slight flavor of acidity in it as well. If you pay close attention to your coffee, you might notice that most of the time there’s a slight taste of acidity. On the other hand, Robusta is more bitter in taste. It also has a more earthy taste with a slight nutty aftertaste in it as well. Arabica and Robusta is probably the world’s most famous type of coffee bean. Oftentimes, the drinks you get from the café or the coffee mix you get from the supermarkets are these two beans combined.

Robusta coffee beans are also very popular in Cambodia as well. It is the bean type that Cambodian love since it has a very strong flavor. And it is not surprising that almost every coffee shop uses Robusta beans regardless of whether it is chained or local.

Khmer’s Coffee Culture

Coffee plays a huge role in Cambodian’s lifestyle. People don’t just drink coffee to get them through the day. They really enjoy the experience of drinking coffee. The coffee-drinking habits that Cambodian people prefer is actually quite similar to the Vietnamese. They enjoy a dark strong coffee rather than Arabica beans coffee. In fact, Cambodians usually prefer to make their coffee with Robusta beans. It has a more bitter and richer taste than Arabica beans. A very popular way that Cambodians prefer their coffee is to be served with condensed milk. How you make it is very simple.

First you pour an appropriate amount of condensed milk that you prefer then pour your dripped coffee over. You can make Khmer’s style dripped coffee by adding ground coffee to the traditional coffee press. Make sure it’s well-packed and then pour hot water over it. However, we do want to add that this is only used by small local coffee shops. This way of making coffee is very authentic and traditional to Cambodians. Also, most Cambodians usually prefer to drink this style of coffee with ice rather than to drink it hot.

The other method that Cambodians prefer their coffee is just black coffee with sugar. It is very simple and it’s Khmer’s favorite. However, if you go to a chained coffee shop in Cambodia, the coffee drinking culture is a little bit different. What you see on the menu is Westernized and not as authentic as the one you get from a small shop on the street. If you travel to Cambodia, you can see that it is very common for people to talk and have a chit-chat over coffee.

Another interesting fact about how Cambodians prefer their coffee is that they like to dip a fried dough stick into their coffee. The combination is very simple and delicious. How Cambodians prefer their coffee is quite unique compared to the Westerns and The Middle East countries. However, it is not much different from its neighboring country.

There are many different ways that you can prepare and enjoy your coffee. The option that you have is endless. However, how Cambodians prefer its coffee is very unique to its country and its root. Although it is quite similar to its neighboring country, how they prepare the coffee is not entirely the same. Cambodians prefer strong, rich black coffee. If you have a chance to visit Khmer’s local café, don’t miss their coffees.