Sticky Rice in Bamboo, Cambodia

Our first day in Cambodia included lots and lots of tastings by the side of the road. We hired two friendly moto-bike drivers/in-the-know guides to show us the many makeshift family businesses in the villages of Battambang. Most villagers grow rice, but the profit is meager and not enough to support their families. So, many add some income by producing hand-made food products.

One of the more common products is sticky rice in bamboo. This fun snack is picked by the side of the road and has a dense and glutinous texture of sticky rice with a delicate tase of coconut. It is made from rice, coconut cream, salt and black beans all roasted in a bamboo shell. The process is long and difficult:

First the bamboo is cut into 30cm pieces (using a manual saw)


The pieces are cleaned and filled with the sticky rice mixture.


The tops are sealed with crumpled banana leaf and then placed to roast on a grill for half an hour.


When they're ready, the burned shell of the bamboo is removed with an axe.

The final product is peeled like a banana, and you eat it with your hands.