Num Pang Pate

Cambodian baguette sandwich of country pate, cold cuts, pickled vegetables and herbs.

Illustration inspired by a baguette cart in a Phnom Penh market.

Dish details
Khmer name	នំបុ័ងប៉ាតេ
Other names	Num pang pate; Nom pang; Nombang; Cambodian sandwich
Dish types	Snack
Subjects	Food & Foodways; Migration & Diaspora; Work & Livelihoods
Related dishes	Sach Ko Ang; Tuk Trey

Num pang pâté (នំបុ័ងប៉ាតេ, num pang pâté) is a Cambodian baguette sandwich of country pâté, cold cuts, pickled vegetables and herbs. The name means "bread with pâté."

Cultural context

Num pang (នំបុ័ង) is the Khmer word for bread. It comes straight from French: num means cake, and pang comes from pain, the French word for bread. The bread is a short baguette with a thin, crisp crust and a soft, airy inside. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients to make a meal. Num pang pâté is the basic, everyday filling, and many other versions exist.

In Phnom Penh, Khmer people commonly eat num pang pâté for lunch or an early evening meal, and vendors sell it all over the city. In 2013 it was sold at a stall at the corner of Streets 111 and 182 by O'Russey Market, and a group of restaurants that specialize in it stood near the corner of Streets 51 and 136. Baguette stalls stand near markets, schools and transport stops. It is a street snack that is easy to eat on the go. In a food culture built on rice, num pang is a snack or an extra rather than a staple.

Its appeal comes from the contrast of warm, crisp bread, rich fillings and sweet-tart pickles. The sandwich is similar to khao jee pâté in Laos and bánh mì in Vietnam. Grantourismo Travels calls num pang Cambodia's version of Vietnam's bánh mì, but little known outside Cambodia and the Khmer diaspora. In the United States, one Khmer American commenter notes, Khmer sandwiches are commonly called banh my. Eateries that specialize in num pang have opened in New York, Washington, Boston and Melbourne.

Ingredients and preparation

The sandwich holds pâté, a variety of cold cuts, mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber and fresh herbs such as coriander. Some versions add butter or a thick spread of chili paste. In Cambodia a rustic country-style pork pâté is typical. Street food cooks usually make their own French-style pâté, and Grantourismo Travels counts this among the things that set their sandwiches apart. Some families still make theirs, but today they are more likely to buy it. One Phnom Penh vendor said in 2013 that the pâté was finely chopped pork with salt, pepper and MSG. Some sellers also use a luncheon meat that comes in pale or mottled pink slabs. The same vendor explained that makers mince the meat into a paste, form it into blocks and boil it, sometimes with pepper.

One recipe uses a demi-baguette, French mayonnaise to taste, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of rustic French country pâté, about six slices of cold cuts, a thinly sliced cucumber with the skin on, a quick pickle of carrots and daikon, and sprigs of coriander. The baguette warms in a 180°C (350°F) oven for about a minute. It is cut lengthwise but not all the way through. Mayonnaise goes on the top half and pâté on the bottom half. The cold cuts go in first, followed by the cucumber, the pickle and the herbs. Sliced bird's-eye chilies or chili sauce may be added at the end. The sandwich is folded shut and eaten at once, and the recipe takes about 30 minutes in all.

In her memoir, Chantha Nguon records a pâté de foie of chicken liver, pork, pork fat, garlic and cloves, wrapped in pork belly fat and steamed. Her family ate it as a sandwich with a Khmer baguette and pickled carrots and daikon. Her final version of the recipe adds cognac and peppercorns.

History and origins

Baguettes came into Cambodian cooking from the French, when Cambodia was a protectorate in French Indochina. The pâté sandwich dates to that era. French colonial bakeries spread the baguette through Cambodian towns, and it became an everyday city food rather than only a colonial luxury. The baguette tradition lasted through independence and war as a practical base for Cambodian street food. Num pang is a close cousin of bánh mì and khao jee pâté, the Vietnamese and Lao takes on the French jambon-beurre. It grew out of the many cooking traditions that shaped Cambodian food. The Khmer baguette is softer, crisper and lighter than the French one, and it is well buttered.

Regional and household variations

Home cooks change the fillings. Smooth duck or chicken liver pâté, mousse or a rustic terrine can take the place of pork pâté, and store-bought pâté works too. The cold cuts may be country ham, pastrami, coppa, mortadella, lardo or salami, and basil or mint may replace the coriander. Some sandwiches use pork belly in place of pâté and finish with spicy chili sauce. One version fills warmed bread with pork or a ham-like meat and mango salad, topped with chili sauce and pepper sauce.

Other named versions of num pang use different fillings. Num pang sach chruk uses braised pork belly with pickled carrots, papaya, mayonnaise and herbs. Num pang sach ko is built around grilled lemongrass beef skewers, with cucumber and the usual fresh garnishes. Num pang trey khaw replaces the meat with fish simmered in tomato sauce, along with pickled vegetables, cucumber and herbs. Num pang brahet uses pork meatballs with mayonnaise, pickled carrots and daikon, salad and herbs such as coriander, mint and basil. It is closely tied to the street food of Siem Reap. Sach ko ang jakak is a similar sandwich made with grilled sausage meat in place of luncheon pork.

Preparations and recipes

• Lara Dunston, Grantourismo

  Warmed demi-baguette layered with mayonnaise, country pate, cold cuts, cucumber, carrot and daikon pickle and coriander.

References