Phnom Penh - Cambodian-based foodies and restaurateurs have gleefully greeted a prediction by top US magazines Bon Appetit and Gourmet that the nation's food will become 2008's new "It" cuisine. The Conde Nast-owned website Epicurious, which displays information from both magazines, posted the bold statement as a New Year prediction, saying the flavours were more subtle than those of neighbouring Thailand.
"A triangulation between Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai cooking, Cambodian's emphasis on noodle dishes, curries, stir fries and prahok, the strong-flavored fish paste, will grow in popularity," Epicurious wrote.
"Cambodian food has stronger flavors than Vietnamese, slightly more subtle than Thai and is not as heavy as Chinese," it said, indicating it was perfect for figure-conscious celebrities looking for exotic tastes without Thai spice.
A prominent food expert, Australian Phil Lees, posted the link on his website Wednesday, cheekily throwing down a challenge to the huge international popularity of Thai food.
Although allies, Thais and Cambodians are historical rivals, and cultural experts from the two countries are constantly bickering over issues of cultural sovereignty.
In January 2003, rumoured comments by a Thai soap actress that the sacred Angkor Wat temple complex, featured on the Cambodian flag, was rightfully Thai resulted in an angry Cambodian mob burning the Thai embassy and a number of Thai businesses.
