Teuk Trey (Khmer Dipping Sauce)
“Cambodia's all-purpose dipping sauce, a pounded blend of garlic, chili, lime and palm sugar loosened with fish sauce and water, often thickened with toasted crushed peanuts for body.”
Where it comes from
Teuk trey, literally 'fish water', is the condiment Cambodians reach for at nearly every meal, dabbed onto grilled meats, fried fish, spring rolls and raw vegetables alike. Each cook tunes the five pillars of salty, sour, sweet, spicy and pungent to taste, and the peanut-thickened Koh Kong style from the coast is among the most beloved versions.
On the plate
One taste delivers everything at once: salty, sour, sweet and fiery, with garlic's pungency cutting underneath. The peanut version turns nuttier and more substantial, clinging to whatever you dip into it.
How it works
Pounding garlic and chili ruptures their cells to release pungent and capsaicin-rich oils that disperse evenly through the liquid. Balancing fish sauce, lime and palm sugar tunes the sauce across all five tastes, while crushed peanuts add fat and body that make it cling.
Variations
Koh Kong peanut style, simple lime-garlic version, with grated carrot and daikon, extra chili for fiery heat
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓10 min active
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 12 min
Peel the garlic and trim the chilies, removing seeds for a milder sauce.
- 22 min
Pound the garlic and chilies in a mortar into a rough paste.
- 31 min
Add palm sugar and pound until it begins to dissolve.
- 41 min
Squeeze in lime juice and pound to combine.
- 51 min
Stir in fish sauce and a little water to reach a balanced, sippable consistency.
- 61 min
Taste and adjust the salty, sour, sweet and spicy balance.
- 71 min
Fold in toasted crushed peanuts for the Koh Kong style if desired.
- 81 min
Spoon into small dishes and serve alongside grilled or fried food.
