Wanted to post this here because unfortunately it's become necessary. I understand that there's a lot of mutual resentment between Cambodians and Thais about claims of food origins. Some of what's claimed by certain individuals is clearly not true, and I understand why there is anger about this as people feel a great deal of pride in their national heritage. That being said- this is a history channel. The purpose of diving into these "controversial" dishes is to follow the facts and most of all, to promote tolerance and understanding that there are layers and layers of connections that bond people together instead of driving them apart. Food is a great way to understand how closely linked we all actually are- not a way to divide ourselves from each other. What I'm saying is- if you want to debate the conclusions in this or any video, that's great, I'm thrilled when people have those conversations either with me or each other. But I'm going to make it clear here that racism, hatred, and attacks on other groups or people- from any side- is a really bad look, and it won't be allowed on this page. Period. Food is a way to understand connections, shared history, and the endless paths of interconnection. We won't let this be used as a platform for hate. So don't post that stuff here or it'll get taken down. (Thanks to the vast and overwhelming majority of you who don't need to read this message)
@@mtha7796 Everything in our case is explained in the video and I've replied to many of your messages below. Gonna stop here. I'll give one last repeat of the explanation that linguistic origin and food history do not always align. We explained that in detail in the Khanom Jeen video with examples of how names evolve separately from dishes and that by itself is not proof of anything- you have to look at everything, including trade, migration patterns, and the records of the appearance of similar dishes wherever and whenever they've appeared- that's especially relevant when covering anything related to Khmer anything, as records and recordings from history are pretty much all gone thanks to the destruction of the Khmer Rouge. That's the last time I'm going to reply, I hear your perspective and thank you for watching.
In literally every situation there are multiple accounts that say a lot of different things. Go find the dozens of writings that say that it's a Khmer dish (and the dozens of writings that say it's indisputably Thai). This is never a straight line from A-to-B-to-C. Our responsibility is to look at everything and make an evaluation based on what we know, instead of simply cherry picking what we want to fit an argument. Sorry you don't agree- the insane thing is that our video literally does explain that the steamed version of what's known as Hor Mok almost definitely came from Thailand.
@@mtha7796 Unfortunately I know all too much about this subject from seeing the aftermath first hand across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. We might disagree about the culinary history of the Khmer empire- but I'm sure we can agree how badly European colonists were destructive.
Oh My Goodness! Khun Sri from Sampeng is on this video! I am not Hor Mok fan but her Hor Mok is one of a kind, she is the first person in my life who introduced me to eat Hor Mok with eggs and her Prik Nam Pla (fish sauce) is ridiculously delicious. I was waiting in early morning in Sampeng just to bump into her because she will have her cart that is moving around and we never know where she is until we were lucky enough to meet her. So happy to see her business growing this far and successful.
I remember when i visited Thailand. I bought a couple different Mok packets from the outdoor market and was just eating them in my hotel room. There was fish, chicken, bamboo etc..and they were so good.
The hor mok dish used to be my favorite dish when I lived in Thailand , It's been more than fifty years now. I still remember what the test like . Thanks for the historical of the roots of them. And I don't think anyone can compete with you as far as the food history. Excellent jobs I love it.
@OTR There are differences between Thai Hor Mok and Cambodia Fish Amok. Fish Amok in the ancient time was similar to 'Mok' one of the Isaan's food, even now you can find this in Sisaket, Surin, and Burirum. Mok is different from Hor Mok, because the curry paste wasn't used in Mok, Mok was made from spices crush together and 'mok' with fish. It is the ancient way of preserving the food. Mok will be wrapped in banana leaf and boiled or grilled. The aroma of 'Mok' or ancient 'Fish Amok' will be very strong flavour of all spices and you still can feel the small pieces of all spices in the food. Coconut milk is not a mandatory, it can be added but most of the time 'Mok' was alone without coconut milk. In contrary, Thailand Hor Mok was made by mixing curry paste and fish meat, blend together until became one. The coconut milk is the flavour to added later, Hor Mok was originally from the royal palace, it was used in the wedding ceremony as the symbol of bonding together. Fish Amok later adapted the way of Hor Mok and ditched it's original method of 'Mok' from its own region when Cambodian workers and refugees learned more and worked in Thailand, they adapted many Thai dishes to use.
That’s not entirely true. The old royal Khmer amok definitively used curry paste or “Kreung”, which was most likely Cambodian before Thai- the first archeological evidence of any curry paste in southeast Asia was in today’s Vietnam, brought by Indians to the Champa kingdom, which also included part of today’s Cambodia. There are certainly differences between the Khmer and Siamese versions of the dish, but that’s the case with everything- over time, things take on new directions and characteristics.
@@OTRontheroad That was from my observation, living background in south Isaan, and visiting Cambodia since 80s. That time Hor Mok style couldn’t be found in Cambodia but the similar dish of Isaan Mok called Fish Amok were found and popular in Cambodia. Hor Mok way of cooking was recently popular and presented in Cambodia for 10-20 years. Not only the dishes in Cambodia have been changed a lot in last 20 years but also the traditions which adapted many from neighboring countries.
@@thaneeyat2252 Correct. In past decades, lots of Cambodian dishes have been adopting Thai dishes a lot. Using this guy logic is like all food in the world comes from Africa the birth place of humanity o.o
I'm Thai and appreciate your research. Very well done and presented! It doesn't matter who invented the dish, it's a wonderful creation and we're all brothers and sisters anyway! Enough with the hatred and resentment and competition, let it all go guys 🙏💖
I agree there’s no need to fight over silly things like this. In both Khmer and Thai we share the same word that is samakee there should be more of that.
Love love love this, thanks Adam!... I first had Hor mok in Paris 1987 & was floored how good & unique it was....later was unavailable in nyc Thai restos where i tried with mixed successs in re-creating it. Then in 89 was was working in Thailand & stumbled into it where i learned more of it... Funny how most of my memories are of dumping spoonfulls of 'nam prik pa' kinda half on half off the 'haw mok' & rice like i see you doing in the vid... thanks foody brother for the deep dive into this culinary treasure!!!
All I took away from this was the lady selling the Hor Mok in the floating market who said "Just ask Adam, he loves it" is now my favorite person ever, and if I can ever get to Thailand I will have to pay her a visit. She seems so humble but also knows how good her food is.
Another well researched and presented culinary video. Thanks for educating us a bit of the SEA History. Yes, the Khmer Rouge certainly wiped off a huge portion of Cambodia's proud history.
Good and very detailed video. The food can even be found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. (otak-otak) I have a strong feelings about these particular food was native to Austronesian people and with the migration happens, hence we see the traces in all part of SEA. (Chams people play a part in Cambodia history too, and I believe that is how the food end up there.)
Agree in honesty it has a true southeast Asian roots, and I would not include those that migrated or settled much later in the centuries. Fish is a staple diet of the people in these regions and coconut is abundant in Southeast Asia. Although Cambodians do give props to Laos for the original creation of the spicy papaya salad, but Cambodians adopted it and made it their own style but still give credit to Laos.
Hi I’m a Khmer chef based out of Massachusetts, USA. Amok is a dish I’ve known my whole life. When I went to Cambodia it was very different from how I grew up eating it. I have had hor mok as well in the states and it very different. Moral of the story is everyone makes their version even if they live 2 streets down from each other. May be similar but no two dishes are the same
On another note, it makes sense that the grill version is older. The method of wrapping food in leaves and bury it in hot coal to cook the food is ancient and can be found anywhere in the world, Hawaiian Lau Lau, for example. Another thing to note is how the herb and other ingredients in this dish varies (which you pointed out). The Laos version is full of dill, which is rarely use in Thai cooking. It is just what is available in the region I guess.
The 15 dishes of Sri Suryendra (the video we did about the poem) involved finding a Lao/Isaan soup made with dill. Crazy to find that ingredient in such surprising and amazing use!
My favorite dish to eat and make. I remember my grandma teaching me how to make it. (I am Thai.) Salmon or trout is excellent for this dish if you will be making this dish outside Thailand, and you can just water-bath bake it in the oven. Put a layer of banana leave at the bottom of the baking tray if you can find it in the freezer of the your Asian grocery. Yum! I never understand why no Thai restaurants aboard make it.
I was training as a medical interpreter, and one of my classmates were Thai. We observed a nutritionist interpreter session together, and he told the class the patient ate a steam fish dish from Northern Thai… and I make sure I remember “Mok Pa” so I would eventually eat it one day. Aside from drooling about a fish dish from a stranger, I also remembered him telling us Northern Thai is distinctively different from the South in many aspects, and it made a common Thai interpreter’s job difficult if a Khmer translator is not available…
@@user-sg6ud5ce5 Stop lying, you know northeastern provinces are mainly Khmer until the Japanese (40's) occupation and handed to Thai. Millions of Khmer still living on their land and spread their cultures which Sian incorporated into their culture today.
@¡Estupendo! France are called to protect Cambodia, not ceded land to Thai or Viet. Unfortunately, France betrayed Cambodia big time. That's ok, only times can tell what will going to happen in 5, 10, or 15 years from now. There is an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Khmer history is so sad, filled with tragedy, all that culture that was destroyed, but yet it is so amazing and vibrant, with dishes like this being just one example!
We won’t argue if Cambodia aren’t said “thai copy this from Cambodia 😭😭🤓🤓” Because sometime Cambodia is go too far like claim a muaythai and say this is “kun khmer”that why my country and Cambodia are arguing every time I’m sorry if its annoyed you Anyway hor mok is my fav food
@@astrallye456 If you and other people looked up and saw the sky is blue and one person said is not then there is no need to argue with that person. And all you have to say is bye bye Stevie Wonder.
@@astrallye456 you must be bored to the point that bragging about online arguments from other platforms here is your part-time job. with this, it's crystal clear that Thais are indeed the starters of all these stirring shits since they got that bad blood in their vein and couldn't let go of them.
I enjoy your channel for the background and history of the foods you feature. You obviously put a lot of research into your video productions. 🏆 Thank you! One request I have is for you to please consider providing google map links to the food locations you highlight, at least for the ones that were outstanding. 😋 I've tried searching for the restaurants you list at the end of some of your videos and I wasn't able to locate many of them from the names provided. It'll be a huge plus to your videos. 👍Thanks! 😊
Khmer amok has noni leaves(Polynesian word) in it. Khmers call it ngo leaves. Older recipes have taro(again Polynesian word) in it. Khmer call it traow. The recipe goes back to prehistoric times before Polynesians left South East Asia.
@kissyou-1004 amok is a borrowed word from Siam has its origins in Pali/Sansrit meaning a soldiers sack meal. Siam once covered most of Cambodia. .. the point is the food existed before the Siamese word, and the word is irellavent to its origin. Like Thai chillies, a North American Spice.
@@siamean1 If this kind of food belongs to Khmer then why have to borrow the Siamese language that means Khmer get the recipe from Thailand? There are many Thai restaurants open in Cambodia. Nowadays, Thai food is all claimed to be Khmer food.
First of all I'm Thai I don't see a problem about Cambodia having Amok, we have the same roots so it's inevitable to have the same dish being national dish for both countries Just say that Hor mok is thai dish and amok is Cambodia dish. Think about kimchi for example South Korea and JP come from the same root and it original dish is from china and kimchi is both JP and KR dish the way of making Sushi rice also have the root from Thailand but it's far from being thai dish and it would be completely wrong to say it's thai dish. The same as mussaman that's a thai dish even though it origina ed from India. Another example would be croissant that originated from Australia kipferl but do croissants Australia dish? No. Rather then say "No! This is our", just say "hey we have this here too" We have diverse cultures, we cultural exchange all the time and we are neighbors, we don't need to resent the conflict that happens a long time ago
People living in Thailand used to be subjects of the Khmer empire, and people living in Cambodia used be subjects of Thai rulers. Essentially people with similar heritage, maybe it's something that's Khmer in origin but also Thai, because the modern nation state didn't exist before. Nationalists on both sides like to pretend each country's culture evolved without the other.
Nice, I enjoy the clean simple flavor that this dish portrays. I have tried the pork version, nearly burned my face off, but I still ate it all........fantastic show OTR !
I really enjoy listening to these as I work. They are really well done and look forward to each new one. Looking forward to when you start doing episodes from outside of Thailand...
In Cambodia we named things from the inventor or creator to remind where it from or who made it. Amok is made by a person name Mok (ម៉ុក). Amok fish is famous dish in Cambodia. Cambodia has many food make frome fish because we has a lot of fish in country.
Fantastic off the beaten path coverage and insight into history food, beautiful people and artisanal culture from Thailand In its purest form can't wait to come back!
I think this food probably originated during the Ayutthaya period because the ingredients, such as chillies, curry paste, and kaffir lime leaves, probably came along with the trade of the Portuguese and Dutch.
Shame is claiming ownership of the dish as if national boundaries matter for something made for many hundreds and even thousands of years. This dish is much older than Ayutthaya. Do not be nationalistic towards food.
ที่จริงควรทำความเข้าใจคำว่า ...หมก At first you should know what is "Mok" meaning in Thai. Hor = Wrap (mostly wrap by banana leaf) Mok = put it underneath combustible ashes (until it's cooked) .....the classic way to cook this food..... not stream.
Laos has a similar name to Thais, mok pa. The fillings are fish, dill, bamboo etc and they wrapped and steam. I feel like Laos is what the Thai version supposed to be and not the Khmer version which is an open face and steamed method. This dish wasn’t intended for commoners. Only royalties and upper class had the chance to eat. Due to the aftermath of the war and the popularity is gaining, now you can get it almost anywhere in Cambodia.
That's the first surprise when I'm back in Thailand. Food is so much more spicy than what the restaurants in America serve. The only downside to this channel is that you can't smell or taste the food.
I had a version of Ha Mok during Songkran in 1997 on the banks of the Mekong in Mae Sai. It was grilled in bamboo tubes, either fish or chicken versions, over a charcoal fire and was so delicious, I stayed in town another day just so I could eat it again. It may have been the best thing I have ever eaten.
Turmeric, is a key ingredient in Amok or Hor Mok. Turmeric is native to India, Cambodian and Indian trade relationship goes back to 5th centuries. As a matter of fact an Indian trader helped founded our civilization.
This dish appears in much the same form in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. There are Hor Mok selling everywhere in Thailand but in Cambodia, this dish is considered a luxury, a royalty food it's very hard to find this dish in markets or street vendor but you can get this food in big restaurants. It's hard to find written records of this dish after the fall of Angkor during the wars between the Siamese, they took all the valuable treasures, written historical records, books and killed all the smart people in the kingdom. But given Cambodia's history and geographical location of the Khmer empire during the 9th-15th century overlarge modern Thailand, Laos and present-day Vietnam it is possible that this dish might have a Cambodian orgin.
Fake information Nobody can kill common traditional of some tribes gone forever.Only Non Wisdom Guy can fool their mind cause nothing in their brain and blame other robbery their innovation in the dream. Eventhough Khmer Rouge Before and After nothing exist .Mostly SIAM Culture always be in cambodia Dress,Temple,Food etc.. as you quote ."There are Hor Mok selling everywhere in Thailand but in Cambodia, this dish is considered a luxury, a royalty food it's very hard to find this dish in markets or street vendor but you can get this food in big restaurants"
@@เปลี่ยนความคิดชีวิตเปลี่ยน ...I have close family that literally runs an NGO helping survivors of the Khmer Rouge. I wish I didn't know as much as I do about this awful time.
Over the past few days, I have read all of your blogs and I have been catching up on your videos and all I can say is... I am hungry... I am glad that they sell P.F. Chang's in the frozen food section at the grocery store because that is as close as I am ever going to get to the food I see here. Let's face it, I will probably never make it back to the Philippines in my lifetime and my adoptive parents did not teach me anything about Asian culture so now I will learn from you guys. Yay!!! Keep up the good work 😁
While yes, our otak-otak is the most similar one to amok/hor mok, we also have pepes in Indonesia where we cook everything from tofu to minced beef in banana leaf 😁Although as an Indonesian, the most mind blowing among all of these similar dishes across Southeast Asia is of course แอ๊บอ่องออ 😂
You’re from Indonesia? Awesome. I used to stay in Medan (back and forth for a long time). If the channel keeps growing and we have a chance to start moving around- first thing we’ll do will be Indonesia. I almost opened a Nasi Padang counter in Bangkok (but did this channel instead)
@@OTRontheroad Yes, I’m from the province of South Kalimantan in the Indonesian side of Borneo. Oh, Medan… Probably not the prettiest of cities out there hahaha but it’s a great city for food! Gotta love saksang, bihun bebek, and laksa medan😁You have a great concept with your channel, love your research into the history of food and how you’ve found your niche. It will only a matter of time until you come over to this side of Southeast Asia. You’ve made the right decision, although nasi padang is awesome I don’t think it suits the local palate in Bangkok.
@@Janovial It's from Palembang. It is absolutely Indonesian. However- when the dish was created, Sumatra was part of Malaya. So technically it is Malay but it's from what is now Indonesia.
@@Janovial well you certainly have it in your country, but it’s not exclusively yours. There are different types of otak-otak in Indonesia, one of which looks orange-y like the one commonly found in Malaysia. But it’s not the only type that we have. If you have a map with you, you can see that our country is so much bigger than yours, it spans the same area from London to Tehran, so naturally we have more varieties when it comes to food.
The Laos king was an orphan and the king of Cambodia raised him, he grew up with the princess and afterwards they got married and the king gave him his own land which is Laos.
Excellent presentation and storytelling. I also love Hor Mok to the max. The one made by the auntie and Bang Krachao must be totally delicious. More often now, present day cooks tend to make Hor Mok 'pet maak" (way too hot). So I sometimes make it myself. Love your tireless research which makes your channel extraordinary.
Lol I actually was pretty much done with writing this one when Jaspar told me about the internet s***storm "food fight"....had no idea. Hilarious! Sure, I'm happy to jump in and throw some elbows
@@OTRontheroad When you jump in the train of food fight between Thailand and Cambodia. You just more hard work for research. If you wrong answer make you bad.
@@think9474 just because you don't like the answer doesn't make incorrect. I know we live in a post-fact world now where any opinion can be backed up by cherrypicking enough data to make it SEEM right- that's why what we do here is hard work. We don't declare something unless we are confident that we are right. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is facts, everything else is just noise.
@@think9474 I've replied already. Doesn't matter how loud you shout something- it doesn't change the way it is. That's the last I'll say in response to you.
WE thais have no issue "if" anyone in any country have their own version thing that similar to ones in Thailand and says " this is common cultural thing" that spreading through time but WE for sure don't give a damn for stupidly claim "This thing stolen by Siam from us". An intellectual can judge on their own.
That’s a mature take and I agree with that. The idea that this was “stolen” by either side is....disappointing and completely ignores how much shared history different places actually have (not to mention, you know, facts). I appreciate your comment
There is a Mok Pla or other mok in Xishuangbanna Shan and many Tai Dai ethnic group around many County. so I think its origin is more a Thai Tai Dai Laos dish. But Hor Mok with coconut milk might be neither Thai or Khmer.
Well this begs the question of "what is a mok pla"...because the tradition of wrapping things in a banana leaf is ancient and endemic to many cultures. The best we can do is study migration patterns and what dishes and ingredients we know were shared to make our best possible guess. For Hor Mok, it's almost definitely Khmer in basic origin, although the addition of certain ingredients came much later. Like...chili peppers hadn't arrived in Southeast Asia when this was first made. I understand why you'd say that about coconut milk- that's a pretty big "tell" for something being of Malay origin. But here, since the dish itself evolved until pretty recently, my guess is that the coconut milk is a very recent addition.
@Old time Homesickness ....that's a long rant with an extremely one-sided view. Yes, without question, this (and practically everything in modern "everyday" cuisine) was for most of history in royal cuisine. One day I'll make an hour to go point by point in rebuttal- but to answer your insults very briefly, 1) I have family connections in Cambodia and have spent more time there, cumulatively, than Thailand, and it isn't close. 2) No, this did not rely on "Wikipedia" as a source. That's not how this works. 3) I do not speak Khmer nor am I a scholar of the ancient language- but people close to me do and are, including those involved in the research of this video. You have a right to your opinions and I can see this brings up a raw reaction. There's always a ton of emotion and debate about these types of things, and I won't claim to be right 100% of the time. But I'll fully and completely stand behind the research in this piece. That being said- despite your resorting to mild insults and cheap shots, and despite that quite a bit of this is plainly incorrect- I'm very interested in your take on a couple of Cambodian dishes I've been looking into, because you do seem passionate and I appreciate your enthusiasm for this type of stuff. I'm always interested in multiple viewpoints and it would be helpful to have a guy on the ground there who is into food history who can help with a bit of research for an upcoming topic or two. If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail at otrbkk@gmail.com and I'll tell you more.
@Old time Homesickness Please don't delete it, even though I disagree with you, many of my closest friendships have formed over yelling debates about food and culture and stuff like this, usually with a beer in hand and always a lot of fun. I appreciate anyone who puts the time into caring about stuff like this and I am absolutely certain it would be fun to debate this stuff with you...Here's the thing- there's SO much history out there, and a lot of it is directly in conflict with each other, that both of us have drawn different conclusions from a massive pile of data. I don't doubt your research, but don't doubt mine, either. This is never a straight line- it's always about trying our best to cut through the noise and try to pick the right data, even when there is always a kernel of truth behind a whole bunch of stories.
@@OTRontheroad what the meaning of ‘amok’ in Cambodia. In Thai, ‘mok’ หมก mean put inside or underneath. Also ‘Hor’ ห่อ mean wrap , so Hor mok refer to cooking process and character of this dish. When killer kill somebody and put the body under something to hide it, the news will say kill and mok ฆ่าหมกศพ. There are many Khmer dish that are exactly the same as Thai dish but the name has no meaning in Khmer but in Thai we have the meaning. It’s look like Khmer took the dish and the name from Thai but the name change a little bit from the original name so it’s no meaning in Khmer.
@@vassanab4243 In ancient Khmer, "amok" meant to steam in a banana leaf. As I've made clear many times on the channel- you cannot learn the history of anything just by the language; often words evolve separately from dishes. For example in our Khanom Jeen video, which is a Mon dish with a name (Hanom Chin) from the Mon language, but which is known by the Chinese name "mee hoon" or a variation in multiple countries. There's more to the history than the language, which itself has multiple possible origins.
This is my first time to know that Thais also cook this. All I know is that this is Cambodian dish, known as Amok Threi.. but each version is very slightly different . Thailand is known to copy the culture and food cuisines of Laos and call it theirs, so I wouldn’t be surprised they are also trying to claim Amok Threi
You need to first not be ignorant. Research, study, and be as objective as you can without letting your pride influence your thinking or your opinions. I see khmer people have a long way to go when it comes to education and just simply having a natural intellect to perceive things as they are using judgment and logical reasoning. I'm khmer too btw.
In history there has been a lot of Khmer Culture that was taken from the Cambodian people from the Thai's and Vietnamese. so dont talk about cambodian taking from other cultures.
@@TheLadyinblack1989 And where can i find the sources that you are talking about? i mean, let me ask you khmers again.. does the word "Amok" has a meaning? In Thai, Hor means wrap and Mok means keep inside. Also, did you know a paste called "Kroeung" that Khmer are using to make Amok? Kroeung came from the word "เครื่อง" or "เครื่องปรุง" in Thai with similar pronunciations . Also has a straight meanings, it means condiments or garnishes.
Old name of khmer amok (ហហ្មុក) is ho mok like thai hor mok and hor in thai language mean wrap and mok mean keep it inside,hide U can search for more info
Traditionally, the fish is pounded in mortar and pestle until it becomes paste. It's quite labour intensive. I found out that lately people use food processor instead. But the texture is all wrong. The one made from food processor is not as smooth as the one pounded by mortar and pestle.😊
I haven’t made this dish but planning on trying it. I find that food processor tend to make the curry or fish too smooth where as pounding the ingredients manually with a mortar and pestle give you more control of the consistency.
Fun fact: that’s racist nonsense. Don’t post stuff like that here, it makes you look like a clown who obviously doesn’t know anything about food and only cares about nationalist garbage.
@@Pola-b9k ...I'm not a racist? You understand literally everyone outside Thailand thinks it's absolutely pathetic how obsessed some Thai people (a small minority, but a loud minority) are with Cambodia and diminishing any impact the Khmer or Cambodians had on anything? Don't be that guy. It's embarrassing.
@@Pola-b9k Thailand is a great country. Your obsession with a neighboring country makes you look weak and insecure. This channel has zero tolerance for this kind of hatred, especially when it is not based on fact. Last warning. Another message (here or on other videos) like this and you’re banned.
That’s like saying Thai food is influenced by Laos but you don’t see any Lao people raving about it. Laos, Thai and Cambodians are pretty much the same. We need to stop this nonsense and make peace.
@@OTRontheroad Fun fact: You believed amok is the original from Cambodia but you did this video to find the information of this dish in Thailand. Who is the garbage fr? :c
That's a great Khmer traditional dish. I'm not surprised that neighboring countries would revere it and even make it their own. I remember the fish time I had it, blew me away in flavors. Wow!
I don't care which country is the originator. Foodies ain't historian but what's good for their taste buds and accepted worldwide. That's the real winner.
I think Angkor people don't know how to steam food. And Siam was a trading country in the past, dealing with China, Russia, France, and Türkiye. The Khmer Rouge War caused Cambodia to lose its original food culture. Sad
Khmer and Chinese had been friends during Angkor period so no doubt Chinese cooking style came along. You can find evidence on Bayon temple wall. Siam only had written text which can be fabricated but evidence on the wall never be lie.
So Hor Mok is basically a cooking process that can be used for any dish cooked in this way. Why is this “Hor Mok” specifically for this dish and not for any other dish cooked in this way; while in Khmer “Amok” is specifically for this dish. Makes no damn sense.
1"Hor Mok" in Thai means neatly wrapping banana leaves. Mok means steaming. For "Amok" Cambodia has no meaning. In the past, it was only eaten by Cambodian elites. In the past, Cambodia was ruled by Thailand for hundreds of years. The food, the architecture, the dress are more like Thailand every day. Many other things you should see. The funny face is Pad Thai with Kratha Pork. Cambodians demand..
Central’s style hor mok are great. But have you ever try the sea fish hor mok from the south? Where in the place like Krabi or Phuket , they have it with khanom jeen namya?! For breakfast?!!! 😂😂😂 oh man
I would make the argument that almost everything is epic in that part of the country. I can't wait to go down there to film. Did a long motorbike trip in the countryside between Krabi and Phuket before we launched the channel and it's one of the great food experiences anywhere.
@@sandarith2231 Not really, it just means Cambodian people loving Thai food so much. Even this farang didnt make this video in Cambodia because he probably couldnt find any information about your Amok lol!
@@MuaythaikickboxingMMA0 well they're didn't but the khmer royal family do since the Angkor era. In that your ancestors was under the khmer empire rule .
The key is the version of Hor Mok in the present, where the mixing of fish, curry paste with chili, and coconut milk come from ? The southeast Asian countries have similar culture but they always have the different in detail. Ayutthaya had got the Chili from Portuguese since 16th century. And, Thailand has many evidence about Hor mok before 19th century. How about Cambodia ? When Cambodia get Chilli ? Where is the evidence (not beliefs) about Amok since the past ? 😂
What an absolutely garbage comment. 1) chilis did NOT come directly to Ayutthaya, they came through the port at Malacca and from there went to every trading port in Southeast Asia. They'd have arrived in what's now Cambodia and Thailand at the same time. 2) Coconut milk also came through the Malay peninsula. You are exactly the reason why this channel exists. There is no place for nationalism in food.
@@OTRontheroad Read !!! I said we have similar culture that always have the difference in detail. Not claim to be the origin. The key is "the version of Hor mok in the present" that is the mix of fish, egg, curry paste with chili, coconut milk and be steamed in banana leave like in the present. This is the question for Cambodian that have to prove and find the evidence to prove "not the beliefs". You have to tell Cambodian to stop claiming without evidence, stop editing WIKIPEDIA, and stop claiming to be origin.
@@TuppLaks I don't know what's more pathetic, your completely inaccurate nationalism, or the fact that you liked your own comment. Cambodia has as much claim to the history of this dish as Thailand does. It's much older than either country. Please understand why this channel exists- it's literally so that people stop thinking like you do.
@@TuppLaks Claiming without evidence? Us Khmers have been providing every single inch of evidence to our claims. Quit providing false information and spreading it, it's embarrassing
Another great chef to inquire about Amok would be Chef Nak from Cambodia. She does have documentation from cooks in the Royal Palace and written a book called Saoy ( the term used for the royal family meaning to Eat)
@Labubu1234 wow your words have so much weight, could of changed the morals and beliefs in 1975-1979. The humanitarian side of you could resolve many issues going now in 2024.
just like Pad Thai and Spaghetti , the noodle from China might be their origin… But fried ricenoodle with Tamarind sauce , Fish sauce, ground peanuts, chilli,lime or vinegar is a uniquely Thai style dish. That being said Otak Otak might be originated from Java, but the way we cooked our Hormok is uniquely Siamese Thai style. The name Hormok is straight forwardly meaning to wrapped and bury or put within…and that’s exactly how the dish is cooked by wrapped it with banana leaves and put it inside the steamed pot. Siamese of Dvaravati Sri Ayuttaya were hybrid AustroTai since day one and kept evolving into SinoAustroTai from ruling class til commoners in the late Ayuttaya ‘til Rattanakosin… Our arts and culture are the acculturation and development from our diversified ancestry, if you have a real understanding of our art and culture you would be able to differentiate the Siamese art from the ancient Khmer.
I'm not a cambodian but as an asian i gotta apologize for what my neighbours say under the comment section, some may useful with information and some are...like that. We're so sorry.
100%. I'm fascinated to do that as so many of the old writings and records were destroyed under the Khmer Rouge. But there's an incredible history of Khmer food that seems to be forgotten now. We'll definitely cover that subject when we can get there to film.
Wanted to post this here because unfortunately it's become necessary. I understand that there's a lot of mutual resentment between Cambodians and Thais about claims of food origins. Some of what's claimed by certain individuals is clearly not true, and I understand why there is anger about this as people feel a great deal of pride in their national heritage.
That being said- this is a history channel. The purpose of diving into these "controversial" dishes is to follow the facts and most of all, to promote tolerance and understanding that there are layers and layers of connections that bond people together instead of driving them apart. Food is a great way to understand how closely linked we all actually are- not a way to divide ourselves from each other.
What I'm saying is- if you want to debate the conclusions in this or any video, that's great, I'm thrilled when people have those conversations either with me or each other. But I'm going to make it clear here that racism, hatred, and attacks on other groups or people- from any side- is a really bad look, and it won't be allowed on this page. Period. Food is a way to understand connections, shared history, and the endless paths of interconnection. We won't let this be used as a platform for hate. So don't post that stuff here or it'll get taken down. (Thanks to the vast and overwhelming majority of you who don't need to read this message)
@@mtha7796 Ones that have been deleted
@@mtha7796 Addressed this already in your many comments below.
@@mtha7796 Everything in our case is explained in the video and I've replied to many of your messages below. Gonna stop here. I'll give one last repeat of the explanation that linguistic origin and food history do not always align. We explained that in detail in the Khanom Jeen video with examples of how names evolve separately from dishes and that by itself is not proof of anything- you have to look at everything, including trade, migration patterns, and the records of the appearance of similar dishes wherever and whenever they've appeared- that's especially relevant when covering anything related to Khmer anything, as records and recordings from history are pretty much all gone thanks to the destruction of the Khmer Rouge. That's the last time I'm going to reply, I hear your perspective and thank you for watching.
In literally every situation there are multiple accounts that say a lot of different things. Go find the dozens of writings that say that it's a Khmer dish (and the dozens of writings that say it's indisputably Thai). This is never a straight line from A-to-B-to-C. Our responsibility is to look at everything and make an evaluation based on what we know, instead of simply cherry picking what we want to fit an argument. Sorry you don't agree- the insane thing is that our video literally does explain that the steamed version of what's known as Hor Mok almost definitely came from Thailand.
@@mtha7796 Unfortunately I know all too much about this subject from seeing the aftermath first hand across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. We might disagree about the culinary history of the Khmer empire- but I'm sure we can agree how badly European colonists were destructive.
Oh My Goodness! Khun Sri from Sampeng is on this video! I am not Hor Mok fan but her Hor Mok is one of a kind, she is the first person in my life who introduced me to eat Hor Mok with eggs and her Prik Nam Pla (fish sauce) is ridiculously delicious. I was waiting in early morning in Sampeng just to bump into her because she will have her cart that is moving around and we never know where she is until we were lucky enough to meet her. So happy to see her business growing this far and successful.
Awwww…I LOVE HOR MOK SO MUCH MY WHOE LIFE!! The coconut creamy fish with chili paste eating with the hot rice…..heaven!
I remember when i visited Thailand. I bought a couple different Mok packets from the outdoor market and was just eating them in my hotel room. There was fish, chicken, bamboo etc..and they were so good.
Right? That was my reaction the first time I tried this as well.
@Jim-Om Tonle Sap is the key
Your knowledge on the history of mainland southeast Asia is very impressive. This has become one of my favorite food channel. Thanks
The hor mok dish used to be my favorite dish when I lived in Thailand , It's been more than fifty years now. I still remember what the test like . Thanks for the historical of the roots of them. And I don't think anyone can compete with you as far as the food history. Excellent jobs I love it.
@OTR
There are differences between Thai Hor Mok and Cambodia Fish Amok. Fish Amok in the ancient time was similar to 'Mok' one of the Isaan's food, even now you can find this in Sisaket, Surin, and Burirum.
Mok is different from Hor Mok, because the curry paste wasn't used in Mok, Mok was made from spices crush together and 'mok' with fish. It is the ancient way of preserving the food. Mok will be wrapped in banana leaf and boiled or grilled. The aroma of 'Mok' or ancient 'Fish Amok' will be very strong flavour of all spices and you still can feel the small pieces of all spices in the food. Coconut milk is not a mandatory, it can be added but most of the time 'Mok' was alone without coconut milk.
In contrary, Thailand Hor Mok was made by mixing curry paste and fish meat, blend together until became one. The coconut milk is the flavour to added later, Hor Mok was originally from the royal palace, it was used in the wedding ceremony as the symbol of bonding together.
Fish Amok later adapted the way of Hor Mok and ditched it's original method of 'Mok' from its own region when Cambodian workers and refugees learned more and worked in Thailand, they adapted many Thai dishes to use.
That’s not entirely true. The old royal Khmer amok definitively used curry paste or “Kreung”, which was most likely Cambodian before Thai- the first archeological evidence of any curry paste in southeast Asia was in today’s Vietnam, brought by Indians to the Champa kingdom, which also included part of today’s Cambodia. There are certainly differences between the Khmer and Siamese versions of the dish, but that’s the case with everything- over time, things take on new directions and characteristics.
@@OTRontheroad That was from my observation, living background in south Isaan, and visiting Cambodia since 80s. That time Hor Mok style couldn’t be found in Cambodia but the similar dish of Isaan Mok called Fish Amok were found and popular in Cambodia. Hor Mok way of cooking was recently popular and presented in Cambodia for 10-20 years. Not only the dishes in Cambodia have been changed a lot in last 20 years but also the traditions which adapted many from neighboring countries.
@@thaneeyat2252 Correct. In past decades, lots of Cambodian dishes have been adopting Thai dishes a lot. Using this guy logic is like all food in the world comes from Africa the birth place of humanity o.o
I'm Thai and appreciate your research. Very well done and presented! It doesn't matter who invented the dish, it's a wonderful creation and we're all brothers and sisters anyway! Enough with the hatred and resentment and competition, let it all go guys 🙏💖
I agree there’s no need to fight over silly things like this. In both Khmer and Thai we share the same word that is samakee there should be more of that.
@@tevanne08 No way Khmer language has "samutkee". For real?
@@iROChakri we used to be the same country. The people are all mixed at this point.
@@andromedamessier3176 Good to see one educated comment.
Love love love this, thanks Adam!... I first had Hor mok in Paris 1987 & was floored how good & unique it was....later was unavailable in nyc Thai restos where i tried with mixed successs in re-creating it. Then in 89 was was working in Thailand & stumbled into it where i learned more of it...
Funny how most of my memories are of dumping spoonfulls of 'nam prik pa' kinda half on half off the 'haw mok' & rice like i see you doing in the vid... thanks foody brother for the deep dive into this culinary treasure!!!
All I took away from this was the lady selling the Hor Mok in the floating market who said "Just ask Adam, he loves it" is now my favorite person ever, and if I can ever get to Thailand I will have to pay her a visit. She seems so humble but also knows how good her food is.
Another well researched and presented culinary video.
Thanks for educating us a bit of the SEA History.
Yes, the Khmer Rouge certainly wiped off a huge portion of Cambodia's proud history.
Good and very detailed video. The food can even be found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. (otak-otak) I have a strong feelings about these particular food was native to Austronesian people and with the migration happens, hence we see the traces in all part of SEA. (Chams people play a part in Cambodia history too, and I believe that is how the food end up there.)
Great explanation and totally agreed.
Agreed as mainland agriculture are not a trading people..mainly austronesian spread most of the influence..
Agree in honesty it has a true southeast Asian roots, and I would not include those that migrated or settled much later in the centuries. Fish is a staple diet of the people in these regions and coconut is abundant in Southeast Asia.
Although Cambodians do give props to Laos for the original creation of the spicy papaya salad, but Cambodians adopted it and made it their own style but still give credit to Laos.
Hi I’m a Khmer chef based out of Massachusetts, USA. Amok is a dish I’ve known my whole life. When I went to Cambodia it was very different from how I grew up eating it. I have had hor mok as well in the states and it very different. Moral of the story is everyone makes their version even if they live 2 streets down from each other. May be similar but no two dishes are the same
On another note, it makes sense that the grill version is older. The method of wrapping food in leaves and bury it in hot coal to cook the food is ancient and can be found anywhere in the world, Hawaiian Lau Lau, for example.
Another thing to note is how the herb and other ingredients in this dish varies (which you pointed out). The Laos version is full of dill, which is rarely use in Thai cooking. It is just what is available in the region I guess.
The 15 dishes of Sri Suryendra (the video we did about the poem) involved finding a Lao/Isaan soup made with dill. Crazy to find that ingredient in such surprising and amazing use!
@@OTRontheroad Talking about dill, iIf you have a chance to go to Laos, try the dish Om or Aw (or), in particulars Or Lam Luang Prabang.
In Thai language,
Coriander = Pakchi
Dill = Pakchi Lao (Laotian Coriander)
Sawtooth Coriander = Pakchi Farang (Westerner’s Coriander)
My favorite dish to eat and make. I remember my grandma teaching me how to make it. (I am Thai.) Salmon or trout is excellent for this dish if you will be making this dish outside Thailand, and you can just water-bath bake it in the oven. Put a layer of banana leave at the bottom of the baking tray if you can find it in the freezer of the your Asian grocery. Yum! I never understand why no Thai restaurants aboard make it.
I was training as a medical interpreter, and one of my classmates were Thai. We observed a nutritionist interpreter session together, and he told the class the patient ate a steam fish dish from Northern Thai… and I make sure I remember “Mok Pa” so I would eventually eat it one day. Aside from drooling about a fish dish from a stranger, I also remembered him telling us Northern Thai is distinctively different from the South in many aspects, and it made a common Thai interpreter’s job difficult if a Khmer translator is not available…
Northern Thai? Where the Khmer Surin people are?
@@CambodianPeaches I have sent your message to the people in Surin. They have the same feeling as me, hate you and hate you very much.😏
@@user-sg6ud5ce5 Oh, they love me 😝
@@user-sg6ud5ce5 Stop lying, you know northeastern provinces are mainly Khmer until the Japanese (40's) occupation and handed to Thai. Millions of Khmer still living on their land and spread their cultures which Sian incorporated into their culture today.
@¡Estupendo! France are called to protect Cambodia, not ceded land to Thai or Viet. Unfortunately, France betrayed Cambodia big time. That's ok, only times can tell what will going to happen in 5, 10, or 15 years from now. There is an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Khmer history is so sad, filled with tragedy, all that culture that was destroyed, but yet it is so amazing and vibrant, with dishes like this being just one example!
Thai call hor mok, Cambodian call amok and Lao have mok pa. They are all delicious and no need to fight or argue.
We won’t argue if Cambodia aren’t said “thai copy this from Cambodia 😭😭🤓🤓”
Because sometime Cambodia is go too far like claim a muaythai and say this is “kun khmer”that why my country and Cambodia are arguing every time I’m sorry if its annoyed you
Anyway hor mok is my fav food
@@astrallye456 If you and other people looked up and saw the sky is blue and one person said is not then there is no need to argue with that person. And all you have to say is bye bye Stevie Wonder.
@@astrallye456 you must be bored to the point that bragging about online arguments from other platforms here is your part-time job. with this, it's crystal clear that Thais are indeed the starters of all these stirring shits since they got that bad blood in their vein and couldn't let go of them.
@@astrallye456 It's not one sided you know.
I'm Thai live in US and I can say this dish is my all time favorite and it's so HARD to find in Thai restaurants in US.
no one needs to know if you're thai or not.
Respect ❤ your hard work and specially your point of view in conclusion ❤ thank you 😊 I am your fan from Cambodia ❤❤
I enjoy your channel for the background and history of the foods you feature. You obviously put a lot of research into your video productions. 🏆 Thank you! One request I have is for you to please consider providing google map links to the food locations you highlight, at least for the ones that were outstanding. 😋 I've tried searching for the restaurants you list at the end of some of your videos and I wasn't able to locate many of them from the names provided. It'll be a huge plus to your videos. 👍Thanks! 😊
Any requests for specific locations, just let me know. Happy to link them if requested.
Khmer amok has noni leaves(Polynesian word) in it. Khmers call it ngo leaves. Older recipes have taro(again Polynesian word) in it. Khmer call it traow. The recipe goes back to prehistoric times before Polynesians left South East Asia.
Yes the original version is Amok Threi and it is used with nonie leaves on the bottom
A What does it mean in Khmer?
Mok What does it mean in Khmer?
@kissyou-1004 amok is a borrowed word from Siam has its origins in Pali/Sansrit meaning a soldiers sack meal. Siam once covered most of Cambodia. .. the point is the food existed before the Siamese word, and the word is irellavent to its origin. Like Thai chillies, a North American Spice.
@@siamean1 If this kind of food belongs to Khmer then why have to borrow the Siamese language that means Khmer get the recipe from Thailand? There are many Thai restaurants open in Cambodia. Nowadays, Thai food is all claimed to be Khmer food.
@kissyou-1004 if it's made in Cambodia its Khmer food. Plain and simple.
Awesome quality. The narration of these videos is super HQ and professional. I am surpised you don't have 10x more subs.
First of all I'm Thai
I don't see a problem about Cambodia having Amok, we have the same roots so it's inevitable to have the same dish being national dish for both countries
Just say that Hor mok is thai dish and amok is Cambodia dish.
Think about kimchi for example
South Korea and JP come from the same root and it original dish is from china and kimchi is both JP and KR dish
the way of making Sushi rice also have the root from Thailand but it's far from being thai dish and it would be completely wrong to say it's thai dish.
The same as mussaman that's a thai dish even though it origina
ed from India.
Another example would be croissant that originated from Australia kipferl but do croissants Australia dish? No.
Rather then say "No! This is our", just say "hey we have this here too"
We have diverse cultures, we cultural exchange all the time and we are neighbors, we don't need to resent the conflict that happens a long time ago
You’re going to love our next video. The food-and-nationalism rant is coming.
People living in Thailand used to be subjects of the Khmer empire, and people living in Cambodia used be subjects of Thai rulers. Essentially people with similar heritage, maybe it's something that's Khmer in origin but also Thai, because the modern nation state didn't exist before. Nationalists on both sides like to pretend each country's culture evolved without the other.
@@ChivBunthai exactly what I mean. ♥
Well said ! I am totally agree with you. The first comment I appreciated to read. I'm Khmer.
Nice, I enjoy the clean simple flavor that this dish portrays. I have tried the pork version, nearly burned my face off, but I still ate it all........fantastic show OTR !
Thanks Marty!
I really enjoy listening to these as I work. They are really well done and look forward to each new one. Looking forward to when you start doing episodes from outside of Thailand...
I love the history.. the stories and the way you share them. Fantastic video as always. Safe travels.
In Cambodia we named things from the inventor or creator to remind where it from or who made it. Amok is made by a person name Mok (ម៉ុក). Amok fish is famous dish in Cambodia. Cambodia has many food make frome fish because we has a lot of fish in country.
Yes,of course❤
Also អន្សមចេក onzom jek is from name mr.jek and បបរ from that guy is name bor-bor 😂
That true seem rice name ‘ Neng Om ‘
Fantastic off the beaten path coverage and insight into history food, beautiful people and artisanal culture from Thailand In its purest form can't wait to come back!
I think this food probably originated during the Ayutthaya period because the ingredients, such as chillies, curry paste, and kaffir lime leaves, probably came along with the trade of the Portuguese and Dutch.
@Neicha Reich
ผมบอกถึงการเข้ามาของวัตถุดิบต่างๆ ที่อยู่ในอาหารจานนี้ ซึ่งส่วนใหญ่ต้นกำเนิดไม่ได้เกิดในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ มันเข้ามาหลังจากสเปนค้นพบทวีปอเมริกา ซึ่งมันตรงกับช่วงเวลาอยุธยา
ถ้าคุณรักอาณาจักรเขมร คุณก็ควรรักอินเดียด้วย ที่นำพราหมณ์ และฮินดู เข้ามาในประเทศของคุณ ทำให้เกิดการสร้างนครวัด ที่คุณแสนจะภาคภูมิใจ
เรื่องพริกนี้จริงร้อยเปอร์เซนต์ที่เข้ามาสมัยอยุทธยา ประเทศเขมรมันไม่มีในโลกนี้ จับเท็จเขมรได้เลยเรื่องห่อหมกที่มันลอกทั้งชื่ออาหารวิธีทำไปจากสยาม มันออกเสียงว่าห่อหมกแบบไทยไม่ได้ เลยเพี้ยนเป็น อะม็อก ที่ไม่มีความหมายอะไรเลยในภาษาเขมร มันเลยโกหกต่อว่าเรียกตามคนที่ทำคนแรกชื่อ อะม็อก ข้อมูลบ้าบอเชื่อถืออะไรไม่ได้เลยตามสไตล์เขมรลวงโลก
Fish sauce also originated from China and bought down to Southeast Asia by Tai people anyway 😂
Love the production. Keeps it up 😊
Great video as always 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks!
Another well done piece of work! Also interesting and fair assumption on the origin of hormok.
a fabulous dish chop mak mak 😋loving the historical add on 🙏 well done
heavy work, good job, of research and video editing, thks
This is Hor Mok(Thai name) the
popular Thai royal dish since Ayutthaya period . Do not rob this
recipe without shame
Shame is claiming ownership of the dish as if national boundaries matter for something made for many hundreds and even thousands of years. This dish is much older than Ayutthaya. Do not be nationalistic towards food.
Love Hor Mok!!!
now your Asian food tour is my new serie for this month :D thank you so much
thanks for the kind comment!
So good documentary vlog. great research solid contents. keep going
Thanks so much
❤Hor mok is one of the best food and high recommended.Really love your chanel and make me hungry now😆
Thank you! Nice of you to say.
Subbed. Thanks for clearing that up.
Love the history and the music!
I never really liked this dish before. But after this video, I’ll open my mind and try to appreciate the dish.
ที่จริงควรทำความเข้าใจคำว่า ...หมก
At first you should know what is "Mok" meaning in Thai.
Hor = Wrap (mostly wrap by banana leaf)
Mok = put it underneath combustible ashes (until it's cooked) .....the classic way to cook this food..... not stream.
Laos has a similar name to Thais, mok pa. The fillings are fish, dill, bamboo etc and they wrapped and steam. I feel like Laos is what the Thai version supposed to be and not the Khmer version which is an open face and steamed method. This dish wasn’t intended for commoners. Only royalties and upper class had the chance to eat. Due to the aftermath of the war and the popularity is gaining, now you can get it almost anywhere in Cambodia.
Always good details
So crazy how much the khmers influenced Southeast Asia ❤
That's the first surprise when I'm back in Thailand. Food is so much more spicy than what the restaurants in America serve. The only downside to this channel is that you can't smell or taste the food.
I had a version of Ha Mok during Songkran in 1997 on the banks of the Mekong in Mae Sai. It was grilled in bamboo tubes, either fish or chicken versions, over a charcoal fire and was so delicious, I stayed in town another day just so I could eat it again. It may have been the best thing I have ever eaten.
Turmeric, is a key ingredient in Amok or Hor Mok. Turmeric is native to India, Cambodian and Indian trade relationship goes back to 5th centuries. As a matter of fact an Indian trader helped founded our civilization.
Very true! My parents who are Khmer always reminds me of our history and relationship with India and it’s so cool!
India also traded with Southeast Asia since ancient times (BCE). Not only your land
@@TuppLaks never said they only traded with us, the world knows India traded with the whole world.
@@samwrought5650They are always insecure 😂
This dish appears in much the same form in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. There are Hor Mok selling everywhere in Thailand but in Cambodia, this dish is considered a luxury, a royalty food it's very hard to find this dish in markets or street vendor but you can get this food in big restaurants. It's hard to find written records of this dish after the fall of Angkor during the wars between the Siamese, they took all the valuable treasures, written historical records, books and killed all the smart people in the kingdom. But given Cambodia's history and geographical location of the Khmer empire during the 9th-15th century overlarge modern Thailand, Laos and present-day Vietnam it is possible that this dish might have a Cambodian orgin.
...just watch the video, that’s pretty much a summary of it. Cheers!
Fake information Nobody can kill common traditional of some tribes gone forever.Only Non Wisdom Guy can fool their mind cause nothing in their brain and blame other robbery their innovation in the dream. Eventhough Khmer Rouge Before and After nothing exist .Mostly SIAM Culture always be in cambodia Dress,Temple,Food etc.. as you quote ."There are Hor Mok selling everywhere in Thailand but in Cambodia, this dish is considered a luxury, a royalty food it's very hard to find this dish in markets or street vendor but you can get this food in big restaurants"
You should study Cambodia history from 1975 to 1979.
@@เปลี่ยนความคิดชีวิตเปลี่ยน ...I have close family that literally runs an NGO helping survivors of the Khmer Rouge. I wish I didn't know as much as I do about this awful time.
@@OTRontheroad I want mrdetective448 Understand how the intellectuals of the Khmer people disappeared.
Over the past few days, I have read all of your blogs and I have been catching up on your videos and all I can say is... I am hungry... I am glad that they sell P.F. Chang's in the frozen food section at the grocery store because that is as close as I am ever going to get to the food I see here. Let's face it, I will probably never make it back to the Philippines in my lifetime and my adoptive parents did not teach me anything about Asian culture so now I will learn from you guys. Yay!!! Keep up the good work 😁
We'll be doing some stories on Filipino food soon!
@@OTRontheroad Oh joy... I can't wait 😃
While yes, our otak-otak is the most similar one to amok/hor mok, we also have pepes in Indonesia where we cook everything from tofu to minced beef in banana leaf 😁Although as an Indonesian, the most mind blowing among all of these similar dishes across Southeast Asia is of course แอ๊บอ่องออ 😂
You’re from Indonesia? Awesome. I used to stay in Medan (back and forth for a long time). If the channel keeps growing and we have a chance to start moving around- first thing we’ll do will be Indonesia. I almost opened a Nasi Padang counter in Bangkok (but did this channel instead)
@@OTRontheroad Yes, I’m from the province of South Kalimantan in the Indonesian side of Borneo. Oh, Medan… Probably not the prettiest of cities out there hahaha but it’s a great city for food! Gotta love saksang, bihun bebek, and laksa medan😁You have a great concept with your channel, love your research into the history of food and how you’ve found your niche. It will only a matter of time until you come over to this side of Southeast Asia. You’ve made the right decision, although nasi padang is awesome I don’t think it suits the local palate in Bangkok.
Otak-otak is Malaysian
@@Janovial It's from Palembang. It is absolutely Indonesian. However- when the dish was created, Sumatra was part of Malaya. So technically it is Malay but it's from what is now Indonesia.
@@Janovial well you certainly have it in your country, but it’s not exclusively yours. There are different types of otak-otak in Indonesia, one of which looks orange-y like the one commonly found in Malaysia. But it’s not the only type that we have. If you have a map with you, you can see that our country is so much bigger than yours, it spans the same area from London to Tehran, so naturally we have more varieties when it comes to food.
The Laos king was an orphan and the king of Cambodia raised him, he grew up with the princess and afterwards they got married and the king gave him his own land which is Laos.
Lan Xang. Not Laos. One of the kingdoms that would become today's Laos, but don't confuse ancient kingdoms for today's European-drawn borders.
Excellent presentation and storytelling. I also love Hor Mok to the max. The one made by the auntie and Bang Krachao must be totally delicious. More often now, present day cooks tend to make Hor Mok 'pet maak" (way too hot). So I sometimes make it myself. Love your tireless research which makes your channel extraordinary.
Thanks so much for this. Cheers and appreciated- and yes, the one at Bang Kachao is still the best I've had anywhere.
You can make fried fish cake(Tod Man) from the same batter.
"hor mok" is name this food in Thailand but Cambodia call "ar mok"
Ohhhhh you guy jump in the train of food fight between Thailand and Cambodia ,,,, love it
Lol I actually was pretty much done with writing this one when Jaspar told me about the internet s***storm "food fight"....had no idea. Hilarious! Sure, I'm happy to jump in and throw some elbows
@@OTRontheroad When you jump in the train of food fight between Thailand and Cambodia. You just more hard work for research. If you wrong answer make you bad.
@@think9474 just because you don't like the answer doesn't make incorrect. I know we live in a post-fact world now where any opinion can be backed up by cherrypicking enough data to make it SEEM right- that's why what we do here is hard work. We don't declare something unless we are confident that we are right. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is facts, everything else is just noise.
@@OTRontheroad No It's not a logic of answers. If you not have a logic answers may be more wrong than right.
@@think9474 I've replied already. Doesn't matter how loud you shout something- it doesn't change the way it is. That's the last I'll say in response to you.
WE thais have no issue "if" anyone in any country have their own version thing that similar to ones in Thailand and says " this is common cultural thing" that spreading through time but WE for sure don't give a damn for stupidly claim "This thing stolen by Siam from us". An intellectual can judge on their own.
That’s a mature take and I agree with that. The idea that this was “stolen” by either side is....disappointing and completely ignores how much shared history different places actually have (not to mention, you know, facts). I appreciate your comment
@@OTRontheroad thanks.
Vice versa
I love the history!!!
ไม่ถึงพันปีหรอก เขมรก๊อปไปหลักร้อยปีตอนเป็นเมืองขึ้นสยามเกือบห้าร้อยปี
แถมเรงงานสมัยใหม่ก็ได้อาชีพกลับไปอีก แต่เคลมว่าเป็นของตัวเอง
ห่อหมกใช้ใบตองห่อมิดชิด แล้วหมกใต้เตา ที่เป็นขี้เถ้า ทางเหนือลักษณะห่อคล้ายกันเรียกว่า แอ๊บ // การใช้หม้อนึ่งอาจได้รับวิธีมาจากจีน เช่นกระทะ สำหรับทอด มีเข้ามาสมัยอยุธยา
....งั้นถ้าลองบอกว่า ญี่ปุ่นคิดตัวอักษรเองไม่ได้ หากไม่ได้จีน ?
Wow, go do research.
There is a Mok Pla or other mok in Xishuangbanna Shan and many Tai Dai ethnic group around many County.
so I think its origin is more a Thai Tai Dai Laos dish.
But Hor Mok with coconut milk might be neither Thai or Khmer.
Well this begs the question of "what is a mok pla"...because the tradition of wrapping things in a banana leaf is ancient and endemic to many cultures. The best we can do is study migration patterns and what dishes and ingredients we know were shared to make our best possible guess.
For Hor Mok, it's almost definitely Khmer in basic origin, although the addition of certain ingredients came much later. Like...chili peppers hadn't arrived in Southeast Asia when this was first made. I understand why you'd say that about coconut milk- that's a pretty big "tell" for something being of Malay origin. But here, since the dish itself evolved until pretty recently, my guess is that the coconut milk is a very recent addition.
@Old time Homesickness ....that's a long rant with an extremely one-sided view. Yes, without question, this (and practically everything in modern "everyday" cuisine) was for most of history in royal cuisine.
One day I'll make an hour to go point by point in rebuttal- but to answer your insults very briefly, 1) I have family connections in Cambodia and have spent more time there, cumulatively, than Thailand, and it isn't close. 2) No, this did not rely on "Wikipedia" as a source. That's not how this works. 3) I do not speak Khmer nor am I a scholar of the ancient language- but people close to me do and are, including those involved in the research of this video.
You have a right to your opinions and I can see this brings up a raw reaction. There's always a ton of emotion and debate about these types of things, and I won't claim to be right 100% of the time. But I'll fully and completely stand behind the research in this piece.
That being said- despite your resorting to mild insults and cheap shots, and despite that quite a bit of this is plainly incorrect- I'm very interested in your take on a couple of Cambodian dishes I've been looking into, because you do seem passionate and I appreciate your enthusiasm for this type of stuff. I'm always interested in multiple viewpoints and it would be helpful to have a guy on the ground there who is into food history who can help with a bit of research for an upcoming topic or two. If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail at otrbkk@gmail.com and I'll tell you more.
@Old time Homesickness Please don't delete it, even though I disagree with you, many of my closest friendships have formed over yelling debates about food and culture and stuff like this, usually with a beer in hand and always a lot of fun. I appreciate anyone who puts the time into caring about stuff like this and I am absolutely certain it would be fun to debate this stuff with you...Here's the thing- there's SO much history out there, and a lot of it is directly in conflict with each other, that both of us have drawn different conclusions from a massive pile of data. I don't doubt your research, but don't doubt mine, either. This is never a straight line- it's always about trying our best to cut through the noise and try to pick the right data, even when there is always a kernel of truth behind a whole bunch of stories.
@@OTRontheroad what the meaning of ‘amok’ in Cambodia. In Thai, ‘mok’ หมก mean put inside or underneath. Also ‘Hor’ ห่อ mean wrap , so Hor mok refer to cooking process and character of this dish. When killer kill somebody and put the body under something to hide it, the news will say kill and mok ฆ่าหมกศพ. There are many Khmer dish that are exactly the same as Thai dish but the name has no meaning in Khmer but in Thai we have the meaning. It’s look like Khmer took the dish and the name from Thai but the name change a little bit from the original name so it’s no meaning in Khmer.
@@vassanab4243 In ancient Khmer, "amok" meant to steam in a banana leaf. As I've made clear many times on the channel- you cannot learn the history of anything just by the language; often words evolve separately from dishes. For example in our Khanom Jeen video, which is a Mon dish with a name (Hanom Chin) from the Mon language, but which is known by the Chinese name "mee hoon" or a variation in multiple countries. There's more to the history than the language, which itself has multiple possible origins.
It won't be long before you have a million subs. Hopefully you can get to do more Cambodian food - the comments section is spicy :D
ห่อหมก ❤
There're so many variations you can eat different version every day of the year and you never repeat!
To tell you the truth, I grew up in Bangkok for 18 years and I never knew the history of this dish even though it's one of my favorite 😊
@@jim.om49 ok
Lao style mok pa has dill. No coconut milk. Seasoned with lemongrass, dill, kiffarlime leaf, galangal, chilis, salt.
Very nice, please do more Cambodian stuff like stuff Chicken wings 😊
I would have hor mak when I lived in Thailand at family get togethers. It’s delicious with jasmine rice.
ขอบคุณมากนะคะ 🙏🏻🇹🇭
This is my first time to know that Thais also cook this. All I know is that this is Cambodian dish, known as Amok Threi.. but each version is very slightly different . Thailand is known to copy the culture and food cuisines of Laos and call it theirs, so I wouldn’t be surprised they are also trying to claim Amok Threi
You need to first not be ignorant. Research, study, and be as objective as you can without letting your pride influence your thinking or your opinions. I see khmer people have a long way to go when it comes to education and just simply having a natural intellect to perceive things as they are using judgment and logical reasoning. I'm khmer too btw.
Excellent story!
Cambodians even called Pad Thai, a khmer food.. so does the word "Amok" even has a meaning? Because "Hor Mok" has a straight meaning for the dish
In history there has been a lot of Khmer Culture that was taken from the Cambodian people from the Thai's and Vietnamese. so dont talk about cambodian taking from other cultures.
@@solsang4673 since khmer always using those walls to claim.. can you show me "Amok" on your walls? 😅
Amok has been around for a very long time ka. Long before the culture stealing war.
@@TheLadyinblack1989 And where can i find the sources that you are talking about? i mean, let me ask you khmers again.. does the word "Amok" has a meaning? In Thai, Hor means wrap and Mok means keep inside. Also, did you know a paste called "Kroeung" that Khmer are using to make Amok? Kroeung came from the word "เครื่อง" or "เครื่องปรุง" in Thai with similar pronunciations . Also has a straight meanings, it means condiments or garnishes.
No Cambodian calls Pad Thai Khmer food. Quit lying lmao. Stop it.
I don't Argue between Cambodia and Thailand all I care I don't have a problem to eat foods in this two countries, I like both Cambodian and Thai ❤❤❤❤❤
The technique of mok- ing seems very ancient, and its shared among different ethnicities, using different ingredients.
Old name of khmer amok (ហហ្មុក) is ho mok like thai hor mok
and hor in thai language mean wrap and mok mean keep it inside,hide
U can search for more info
Traditionally, the fish is pounded in mortar and pestle until it becomes paste. It's quite labour intensive. I found out that lately people use food processor instead. But the texture is all wrong. The one made from food processor is not as smooth as the one pounded by mortar and pestle.😊
I haven’t made this dish but planning on trying it. I find that food processor tend to make the curry or fish too smooth where as pounding the ingredients manually with a mortar and pestle give you more control of the consistency.
Fun Fact, cambodia no native foods most of food influenced by Thai food
Fun fact: that’s racist nonsense. Don’t post stuff like that here, it makes you look like a clown who obviously doesn’t know anything about food and only cares about nationalist garbage.
@@Pola-b9k ...I'm not a racist? You understand literally everyone outside Thailand thinks it's absolutely pathetic how obsessed some Thai people (a small minority, but a loud minority) are with Cambodia and diminishing any impact the Khmer or Cambodians had on anything? Don't be that guy. It's embarrassing.
@@Pola-b9k Thailand is a great country. Your obsession with a neighboring country makes you look weak and insecure. This channel has zero tolerance for this kind of hatred, especially when it is not based on fact. Last warning. Another message (here or on other videos) like this and you’re banned.
That’s like saying Thai food is influenced by Laos but you don’t see any Lao people raving about it. Laos, Thai and Cambodians are pretty much the same. We need to stop this nonsense and make peace.
@@OTRontheroad Fun fact: You believed amok is the original from Cambodia but you did this video to find the information of this dish in Thailand. Who is the garbage fr? :c
That's a great Khmer traditional dish. I'm not surprised that neighboring countries would revere it and even make it their own. I remember the fish time I had it, blew me away in flavors. Wow!
I don't care which country is the originator. Foodies ain't historian but what's good for their taste buds and accepted worldwide. That's the real winner.
These nationalist feuds over dishes always ignore the fact that food knows no borders. Food traditions are regional, not national.
very cool
cheers!
In Khmer, we write 'ហហ្មុក' or Hor Mok,' not 'Amok,' but in spoken language, most people say 'Amok'
I think Angkor people don't know how to steam food.
And Siam was a trading country in the past, dealing with China, Russia, France, and Türkiye.
The Khmer Rouge War caused Cambodia to lose its original food culture. Sad
It would have great yo go make a video of how she makes it …when she’s gone who is going to have her recipe? The lady on th3 boat
Khmer and Chinese had been friends during Angkor period so no doubt Chinese cooking style came along. You can find evidence on Bayon temple wall. Siam only had written text which can be fabricated but evidence on the wall never be lie.
Hor Mok is Thai language,Hor means wrap and Mok means cooking bynkeep under fire.
So Hor Mok is basically a cooking process that can be used for any dish cooked in this way. Why is this “Hor Mok” specifically for this dish and not for any other dish cooked in this way; while in Khmer “Amok” is specifically for this dish. Makes no damn sense.
Hor mok, it is truly thai words.
@@crew because it is not a must-do rule to name any dish by their process such nonsense.
Can anyone tell me the location for the grilled Hor Mok street stand in Bangkok?
1"Hor Mok" in Thai means neatly wrapping banana leaves.
Mok means steaming.
For "Amok" Cambodia has no meaning.
In the past, it was only eaten by Cambodian elites. In the past, Cambodia was ruled by Thailand for hundreds of years. The food, the architecture, the dress are more like Thailand every day. Many other things you should see.
The funny face is Pad Thai with Kratha Pork. Cambodians demand..
i dont understand why thai and cambodians just argue over culture and food. culture and food is suppose to bring us together not apart
Because of france 🇲🇫
@@Oppalalo-uu9fo the hell did france do?
@@therealagustin724 they took cambodia from us
Cambodia is called the Amok Trei, But great taste
I prefer the Lao version of this. Have you tried?
I’ve seen it before I can tell by the herbs and ingredients it’s a completely different profile taste. But I hope to try it one day. I love Laos food!
Central’s style hor mok are great. But have you ever try the sea fish hor mok from the south? Where in the place like Krabi or Phuket , they have it with khanom jeen namya?! For breakfast?!!! 😂😂😂 oh man
I would make the argument that almost everything is epic in that part of the country. I can't wait to go down there to film. Did a long motorbike trip in the countryside between Krabi and Phuket before we launched the channel and it's one of the great food experiences anywhere.
5 yrs ago Cambodia Amok not look like Thai Hormok as it is today
And you're crying
@@sandarith2231 Not really, it just means Cambodian people loving Thai food so much. Even this farang didnt make this video in Cambodia because he probably couldnt find any information about your Amok lol!
@@MuaythaikickboxingMMA0 Thai food? Nah more like Chinese food
@@MuaythaikickboxingMMA0 well they're didn't but the khmer royal family do since the Angkor era. In that your ancestors was under the khmer empire rule .
When I grew up salmon hor mok is a delicacy.
The key is the version of Hor Mok in the present, where the mixing of fish, curry paste with chili, and coconut milk come from ? The southeast Asian countries have similar culture but they always have the different in detail. Ayutthaya had got the Chili from Portuguese since 16th century. And, Thailand has many evidence about Hor mok before 19th century. How about Cambodia ? When Cambodia get Chilli ? Where is the evidence (not beliefs) about Amok since the past ? 😂
What an absolutely garbage comment. 1) chilis did NOT come directly to Ayutthaya, they came through the port at Malacca and from there went to every trading port in Southeast Asia. They'd have arrived in what's now Cambodia and Thailand at the same time. 2) Coconut milk also came through the Malay peninsula. You are exactly the reason why this channel exists. There is no place for nationalism in food.
@@OTRontheroad Read !!! I said we have similar culture that always have the difference in detail. Not claim to be the origin. The key is "the version of Hor mok in the present" that is the mix of fish, egg, curry paste with chili, coconut milk and be steamed in banana leave like in the present. This is the question for Cambodian that have to prove and find the evidence to prove "not the beliefs". You have to tell Cambodian to stop claiming without evidence, stop editing WIKIPEDIA, and stop claiming to be origin.
@@TuppLaks I don't know what's more pathetic, your completely inaccurate nationalism, or the fact that you liked your own comment. Cambodia has as much claim to the history of this dish as Thailand does. It's much older than either country. Please understand why this channel exists- it's literally so that people stop thinking like you do.
@@TuppLaks Claiming without evidence? Us Khmers have been providing every single inch of evidence to our claims. Quit providing false information and spreading it, it's embarrassing
Another great chef to inquire about Amok would be Chef Nak from Cambodia. She does have documentation from cooks in the Royal Palace and written a book called Saoy ( the term used for the royal family meaning to Eat)
That chef just copied Thai recipes and published the books🙄
@Labubu1234 your living in your own simulation, and only your words are valid. You are one with hypocrisy.
@@jacksonsiv6203 Khmer needs to understand more about having good morals.
@Labubu1234 wow your words have so much weight, could of changed the morals and beliefs in 1975-1979. The humanitarian side of you could resolve many issues going now in 2024.
just like Pad Thai and Spaghetti , the noodle from China might be their origin… But fried ricenoodle with Tamarind sauce , Fish sauce, ground peanuts, chilli,lime or vinegar is a uniquely Thai style dish.
That being said Otak Otak might be originated from Java, but the way we cooked our Hormok is uniquely Siamese Thai style. The name Hormok is straight forwardly meaning to wrapped and bury or put within…and that’s exactly how the dish is cooked by wrapped it with banana leaves and put it inside the steamed pot.
Siamese of Dvaravati Sri Ayuttaya were hybrid AustroTai since day one and kept evolving into SinoAustroTai from ruling class til commoners in the late Ayuttaya ‘til Rattanakosin…
Our arts and culture are the acculturation and development from our diversified ancestry, if you have a real understanding of our art and culture you would be able to differentiate the Siamese art from the ancient Khmer.
I'm not a cambodian but as an asian i gotta apologize for what my neighbours say under the comment section, some may useful with information and some are...like that.
We're so sorry.
Can you do Cambodia food more
100%. I'm fascinated to do that as so many of the old writings and records were destroyed under the Khmer Rouge. But there's an incredible history of Khmer food that seems to be forgotten now. We'll definitely cover that subject when we can get there to film.
You should know that you supposed to have it with steamed rice. That's why it's spicier by itself