Num pang
In Cambodian cuisine, num pang is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called num pang sach. It is similar to Laos's khao jee pâté and Vietnam's bánh mì.
History
Baguettes were adopted into Cambodian cuisine from the French when Cambodia was a protectorate in French Indochina.More recently, num pang has spread outside of Cambodia with eateries specializing in num pang opened in cities, such as New York, Washington, Boston, and Melbourne.
Variations
There are a number of regional variations of num pang with different fillings:- Num pang pâté with pâté, a variety of cold cuts, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers and fresh herbs.
- Num pang brahet with pork meatballs, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, salad, and fresh herbs. A very popular street food snack in Siem Reap.
- Num pang sach chruk with braised pork belly, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, and fresh herbs.
- Num pang sach ko with grilled lemongrass beef skewers, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, cucumber and fresh herbs.
- Num pang trey khaw with fish simmered in tomato sauce, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, cucumber, and fresh herbs.