Cambodian bread or sandwich
Num pang |
| Alternative names | nom pang, nompang, nombang, Cambodian sandwich |
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| Type | Sandwich |
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| Place of origin | Cambodia |
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| Main ingredients | Baguette, mayonnaise, meat, vegetables, herbs |
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| Similar dishes | bánh mì, khao jee pâté |
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In Cambodian cuisine, num pang (Khmer: នំបុ័ង [num paŋ]; from French: pain – "bread") is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called num pang sach (នំបុ័ងសាច់ [num paŋ sac]; "bread with meats"). It is similar to Laos's khao jee pâté and Vietnam's bánh mì.
History
Baguettes were adopted into Cambodian cuisine from the French when Cambodia was a protectorate in French Indochina.[1]
More recently, num pang has spread outside of Cambodia with eateries specializing in num pang opened in cities, such as New York,[2] Washington,[3] Boston,[4] and Melbourne.[5]
Variations
There are a number regional variations of num pang with different fillings:
- Num pang pâté (នំបុ័ងប៉ាតេ) with pâté, a variety of cold cuts, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers and fresh herbs (such as coriander).[6]
- Num pang brahet (នំបុ័ងប្រហិត) with pork meatballs, mayonnaisee, pickled carrots and daikon, salad, and fresh herbs (such as coriander, mint and basil). A very popular street food snack in Siem Reap.[7]
- Num pang sach chruk (នំបុ័ងសាច់ជ្រូក) with braised pork belly, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, and fresh herbs (such as coriander).
- Num pang sach ko (នំបុ័ងសាច់គោ) with grilled lemongrass beef skewers, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, cucumber and fresh herbs.
- Num pang trey khaw (នំបុ័ងខត្រី) with fish simmered in tomato sauce, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and papaya, cucumber, and fresh herbs (such as coriander).
