NHUM — Recipes from a Cambodian Home Kitchen

Chef Nak’s NHUM cookbook featuring Cambodian home-cooking recipes.

Everyday Cambodian Cooking

NHUM is Chef Nak’s celebration of Cambodian home cooking—a collection of 80 recipes rooted in family kitchens, everyday ingredients, memories, and the flavors Cambodians grow up with.

From soups, curries, salads, and stir-fries to snacks and sweets, the book introduces the ingredients, techniques, and balance that shape Khmer cooking in a practical and approachable way.

More than a collection of recipes, NHUM preserves the warmth and knowledge of Cambodian home kitchens, inviting readers everywhere to cook, understand, and share our cuisine.

Buy Internationally
Buy in Cambodia

Inside NHUM

80 recipes that introduce the flavors and rhythms of Cambodian home cooking, accompanied by stories and culinary knowledge that give each dish its cultural context.

A black bowl filled with a creamy dish garnished with fresh mint and lime slices, placed on a countertop with an open book, chopsticks, and sliced lime nearby.
A blue and white striped bowl filled with chicken salad containing grapes, mandarin oranges, and shredded chicken, placed on a table. Two small bowls with dipping sauces and a book are also on the table.
A plate of food with lettuce, tomato, onion, cooked beef, and a fried egg, alongside a halved lime, a small bowl of sauce, and utensils on a napkin, with a cookbook open in the background showing a similar dish.
Book titled 'NHUM' with a picture of a mortar and pestle and spices on the cover, placed on a countertop. In the background, there is a bowl of dried red chili peppers and a bowl of salt.
Breakfast table with a magazine, bowls of coconut milk with colorful tapioca pearls, black coffee, and a glass of water.
A red bowl filled with a salad containing chopped greens, sliced red peppers, bean sprouts, and chopped nuts on a wooden surface.
A cookbook open to a recipe for Pomelo Shrimp Salad in front of a bowl of shrimp salad garnished with basil leaves, lime half, and a spoon on a beige countertop.
Open cookbook on a kitchen counter with a recipe page and a photo of cooked shrimp. In the background, a frying pan with food, a jar of seasoning, and stovetop burners.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • NHUM — Recipes from a Cambodian Home Kitchen is Chef Nak’s celebration of everyday Cambodian cooking. Through 80 recipes, the book shares the dishes, ingredients, techniques, and flavors found in Cambodian homes, together with the stories and cultural knowledge that give the food meaning.

    More than a recipe collection, NHUM is an invitation to understand Cambodia through the way we cook, eat, and share food at home.

  • NHUM is for anyone curious about Cambodian food, whether you are discovering Khmer cuisine for the first time or already familiar with its flavors.

    It is created for home cooks, food lovers, chefs, Cambodian families living abroad, travelers who want to reconnect with their experiences in Cambodia, and anyone interested in learning more about Cambodian culinary heritage.

  • NHUM features 80 Cambodian recipes from the home kitchen, including soups, curries, salads, stir-fries, grilled dishes, snacks, sweets, and other everyday favorites.

    The recipes introduce readers to the diversity of Cambodian cooking, from simple family meals to dishes prepared for sharing and special occasions, while also exploring the ingredients and techniques that create the distinctive balance of Khmer flavors.

  • Yes. NHUM was created to make Cambodian home cooking approachable.

    The recipes guide readers through the ingredients, preparation, and cooking techniques step by step, making the book suitable for people who may never have cooked Cambodian food before.

    More experienced cooks will also find inspiration in the traditional techniques, flavor combinations, and cultural stories behind the dishes.

  • Some recipes use ingredients that are distinctive to Cambodian cooking, such as prahok, kroeung, Cambodian herbs, fermented seasonings, and certain tropical vegetables.

    Many ingredients can now be found in Asian supermarkets or specialty food shops, and some recipes can be prepared with suitable locally available alternatives.

    Part of the joy of NHUM is discovering these ingredients and understanding the role they play in creating the aromas, depth, freshness, and balance of Cambodian cuisine.

  • NHUM is available in Cambodia directly through Chef Nak and internationally through selected online retailers.

    For purchases in Cambodia, please contact the Chef Nak team for current availability, delivery, or collection options. Signed copies may also be available upon request.

    For international customers, NHUM is available through Amazon and selected international retailers.

Chef Nak holding her two Cambodian cookbooks, NHUM and SAOY.