Stung Treng – One of the favorite cuisines in Cambodia is Num Kralan or Sticky Rice in Bamboo. At first, we thought it was just a simple sticky rice inside the bamboo tube. However, Num Kralan has its own story and unique taste. Rice is the main diet for Cambodians, everyone likes rice, especially the smell and stickiness of sticky rice. For Num Kralan, it is made with local sticky rice, coconut cream, coconut meat, and palm sugar mixed with black-eye bean. The process of making Num Kralan is not challenging for those who want to make it. But it requires patience and time for the taste.

Yao Bophon, 30 years old with her husband, together they have been making a living by roasting and selling Num Kralan for almost a decade. She learned how to make Num Kralan from her parents. Every day, she had to wake up early around 3:00 am to 6:00 am for roasting and again at 8:00 am as her customers ordered, which are mostly for Preah Vihear province. She starts her day by preparing and mixing the ingredients then putting it inside the bamboo tube that her husband buys from villagers. Around 2,000 to 3,000 riel per bamboo tree. For average 10 kg of sticky rice per day that they sell. The process of roasting the bamboo tube requires patience due to the hot temperature that she spent for a couple hours before the sticky rice was ready to consume.

Her husband must slice the bamboo tube. They sell only 1 kg of Num Kralan for 10,000 thousand riel or 2.5 US dollars. He goes to sell at a roadside stall that is not far away from the Sekong Bridge every morning. For us, it is just sticky rice in bamboo, for Bophon and her husband, this sticky rice in bamboo could let them make a living with their children. Currently, we can’t find a lot of roadside stalls that sell sticky rice in bamboo anymore due to the changing living conditions of people in Stung Treng who are moving or going to work in urban areas or neighboring countries and the rising price of ingredients, especially coconut and sugar.

For the taste of Num Kralan, the aroma of roasted coconut and the less sweet of palm sugar make the Num Kralan in Stung Treng unique and tasty for those who prefer less sweet flavor. The newly roasted Num Kralan is the best combination with green tea and coffee in the morning.

Text by Lyhour Sreang