Cambodian dried fish: the catch split open, salted and laid on racks in the sun until hard, then fried and eaten with rice. It is dried on the shores of the Tonlé Sap after the annual migration and sold in market piles.
Drying fish in the open depends on heat and low humidity strong enough to beat the bacteria already on it, plus constant attention to flies; in a temperate kitchen the same method spoils rather than dries.
What goes into it
- freshwater fish, split and flattened
- coarse salt
How it is made
The fish are split down the back, gutted, and rubbed or brined with salt, then laid flat on bamboo racks in full sun and turned as they dry. Cambodia’s dry-season heat and low humidity pull the water out fast enough that the fish is preserved before it spoils.
How long it takes: two to five days in strong sun
How it is eaten
Fried until crisp and eaten with rice, cucumber and a chilli dip; also pounded into salads.
History
Dried on the shores of the Tonle Sap after the annual fish migration, and sold in market piles.
Frequently asked questions
What is Trey Ngiet?
Trey Ngiet is a charcuterie & cured from Cambodia: split fish salted and dried on racks, later fried and eaten with rice. Dried on the shores of the Tonle Sap after the annual fish migration, and sold in market piles.
How is Trey Ngiet made?
The fish are split down the back, gutted, and rubbed or brined with salt, then laid flat on bamboo racks in full sun and turned as they dry. Cambodia’s dry-season heat and low humidity pull the water out fast enough that the fish is preserved before it spoils. It takes two to five days in strong sun.
Can I make Trey Ngiet at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Drying fish in the open depends on heat and low humidity strong enough to beat the bacteria already on it, plus constant attention to flies; in a temperate kitchen the same method spoils rather than dries.
What goes into Trey Ngiet?
Freshwater fish, split and flattened, coarse salt.
How is Trey Ngiet eaten?
Fried until crisp and eaten with rice, cucumber and a chilli dip; also pounded into salads.
