Wonderful Lort Cha, or Fried Noodles from Cambodia
Fried Noodles from Cambodia are called Lort Cha (លតឆា), or Cambodian Fried Noodles. It may be found everywhere, from fancy restaurants to little shops to street carts that specialize in it. Naturally, this is the reason why street food is the ideal way to enjoy Cambodian fried noodles.
Lort Cha: What is it?
Alright, so here is where my buddies who are Khmer greatly correct me! The most well-known kind of Cambodian fried noodles is called LorDifferent Styles of Fried Noodles in Cambodia varieties, which we shall discuss later. While cha (枆ា) refers to fried “noodles,” lort (枛ត) are soft rice noodles. Next, you may add whatever veggies you desire, such as bean sprouts, spring onions, green Khmer leaves, or almost any other vegetable. This implies that you can make Cambodian Fried Noodles as vegetarian or vegan as you’d like.
Variations of Cambodian Fried Noodles
As previously mentioned, my first article about Cambodian fried noodles did really well in search results. However, my friends who are Khmer also chastised me for not including more variations in the Khmer Fried Noodle category, of which I will discuss a few here, even though lort cha is the most well-known.
Mi Cha (ᐘីᐆᐶ): The accurate translation for “Cambodian Fried Noodles” is really Mi Cha, where Mi stands for “noodle” and Cha for “fried.” You may find curly noodles, yellow noodles, rate-style noodles, and, of course, soft rice noodles, also known as lort cha, in this family.
You usually have the same options for toppings and accompanying sauces, which we shall discuss later, regardless of the variation.
Where can I get fried noodles from Cambodia?
Fried noodles from Cambodia are widely available and may be priced to your preference. Khmer Fried Noodle Dish is often included on the menus of fine-dining or western restaurants with Khmer cuisine. Of course, you can get it in Khmer restaurants, but the best locations to acquire Cambodian fried noodles are from food carts that drive about selling almost nothing but fried noodles or from specialty street food restaurants.
Click here to learn about my obsession with Chinese fried noodles.
What flavor are Cambodian fried noodles?
Stir-fried noodles from Cambodia are highly recommended and the simplest meal to try when visiting the country. Fried noodles, as I’ve said, may take many different forms, but the Cambodian version has a lot more in common with Cantonese food, which is evident in how flavorful the sauce is!
Like other Khmer recipes, Cambodian style fried noodles are distinguished by the use of condiments as well as the typical addition of fish sauce.
The salad will be served to you with Khmer leaves and veggies that you may toss into the bowl, as is customary in Vietnam with other noodle meals.
The Condiments: You may mix and match the chilies, limes, and different spicy or sweet chili sauces on your table to suit your tastes.
Which restaurants provide Cambodian fried noodles the best?
Location, location, and more! As I said before, this is a fantastic meal to eat whenever you are in Cambodia. If you are in the countryside, you should definitely try one of the street food carts or stalls.
The riverbank, which is also among the greatest locations for street food overall, is the focal point of Siem Reap. People will physically line up to eat from a certain street food seller near the end of the river’s street food section.
Regarding Phnom Penh, you can see my post on the greatest street food in Phnom Penh here. However, based on the lines, I believe I may have found the greatest restaurant for Cambodian Fried Noodles in the city, so I’ll write a separate post about it.
Whatever the occasion, street food is a necessity for Cambodia.