Khmer Snack – Num Kroch, Num Korng, Num Pong Ansorng

There are many kinds of Khmer snack which are  simple but being all time favorites for Cambodia people. Num Krouch, Num Kong, and Num Pong Ansorng are among of them. Num is the Khmer word for ‘cake’. These 3 kinds of cakes are made from the same flour, which consist of 3/4 sticky rice flour and 1/4 paddy rice flour. The process of making is nearly the same, however, the taste of each cakes is varies. These 3 kinds of cakes are always selling together.

Num Kroch (នំក្រូច)

Num Kroch

‘Kroch’ means ‘Orange’, so Num Kroch is Orange Cake. In fact, the cake doesn’t consist of orange as ingredient at all. The name it has got is because of the shape of the cake looks like an orange. Num Kroch is made of sticky rice flour and paddy rice flour mixed together. It has the filling made of green bean and coconut meat. The filling tastes sweet of bean, coconut meat, and sugar. The filling would be covered by flour, then people make it into round-flat orange shape, top with black sesame or marinated with white sesame. The the cake will be deep-fried in cooking oil until it turn into yellow-brown.

 Num Korng (នំកង)

Num Korng

‘Korng’ in Khmer means ‘bracelet’, the jewelery that ladies wear in their hands. This is again Num Korng is named so from its shape. Num Korng is made of sticky rice and paddy rice flour too. It has no filling. After it is shaped as a bracelet like, it was deep-fried in cooking oil too. Then it is top with thick cooked palm sugar with white sesame. Num Korng is very delicious for those who like sugar.

Num Pong Ansorng (នំពងអន្សង)

Num Pong Ansorng

Ansorng is a kind of reptile animal in Cambodia. ‘Pong’ means ‘egg’. The cake looks like its egg. So people give the cake name Num Pong Ansorng. Num Pong Ansorng is made of the same flour as Num Kroch and Num Korng. The cake is round, inside filled with green bean and coconut meat just like Num Kroch. But the flavor is salty-sweet. After deep-fried (Num Pong Ansorng doesn’t need to be fried much, only turn to be slight yellow), the cake will be marinated with white cooked sugar. So Num Pong Ansorng is yummy with salty filling and sweet outer.