Dish
Twa Ko
Khmer pork or beef sausage seasoned with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf, then air-dried.
Twa ko is a Khmer pork or beef sausage seasoned with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf, then air-dried.[1] It is also called twa ko kroeung or Khmer lemongrass sausage.[1]
Cultural context
In Cambodia, twa ko is eaten both at street-side meals and on special occasions.[2] Mashed counts it among the traditional Cambodian foods with an important place in the country's cooking.[2] In Phnom Penh markets the sausages hang from the stalls, ready to eat.[3] Twa ko is eaten on its own or served hot with steamed rice and fresh vegetables.[4][5]
It is also made at home.[6] Tevy's Food Blog shares a recipe the author makes for family. The links are traditionally dried in the sun; with no sun in Seattle, the author dries them indoors with a fan.[1] One reader of the blog wrote of missing a mother's cooking after moving out.[1]
In Long Beach, California, the Texas-style pitmaster Chad Phuong smokes twa ko rather than deep-frying it, the usual method.[7]
Ingredients and preparation
Twa ko is made from fatty pork, beef or a mix of both, with rice, galangal, garlic, oyster sauce and fish sauce.[2] The rice may be fermented.[7] Hotels.com gives at least 20 to 25 percent fat for authentic Khmer twa ko.[5] Palm sugar gives it a sweet and savory taste, and the finished sausage is red and juicy.[3] Other recipes add salt, lime leaves, shallots, black pepper or crushed roasted peanuts.[8][9][6] Lemongrass and shallots bring a hint of citrus, black pepper a little heat, and fish sauce a savory depth.[9]
Tevy's Food Blog uses about 1.6 kilograms (3½ pounds) of pork shoulder, pork butt or beef with about 25 percent fat, cut into small pieces.[1] The seasoning is half a cup each of minced garlic and minced lemongrass, a third of a cup of minced galangal, ten thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, three tablespoons of oyster sauce, two tablespoons of fish sauce and one package of Thai nam powder, which sours the sausage.[1] One cup of cold rice goes in, and leftover rice works best.[1]
The lemongrass, galangal, garlic and lime leaves are pounded to a paste in a mortar and pestle.[1] The meat and all the other ingredients are mixed well by hand in a large bowl.[1] Pork casings are washed inside and out to remove the salt.[1] The mixture is pushed into the casing with a sausage stuffer or any clean tube with a wide top, then twisted into links.[1] The links hang in the sun for about a day, which helps the flavors blend inside the casing.[1][2] The dried sausages are kept in the refrigerator or freezer.[1]
Twa ko is cooked until the meat is done through.[4] It is grilled, barbecued, pan-fried, stir-fried or deep-fried.[1][5][6][7]
Fish sauce is part of the seasoning, so this preparation is not suitable for vegetarians or people with fish allergies.[4] The sausage is a protein-rich snack that is also high in fat and sodium.[4] It is naturally gluten-free, though bought versions vary with the recipe.[4]
History and origins
The origins of twa ko are not well documented.[4] Sausage-making belongs to the ways Cambodian families have preserved meat over many generations.[4]
Regional and household variations
Some cooks prefer pork belly as the main ingredient, since it gives the sausage enough fat.[5][1] Hello Angkor records a beef version, made either as long, thick sausages or as round balls.[8] One to two tablespoons of crushed Thai chilies make a hot and spicy sausage.[1] Red Chinese barbecue seasoning is optional and gives the sausage a red color and a barbecue smell.[1] Indoor drying with a fan can replace the sun.[1]
Preparations and recipes
- Tevy's Food Blog
- Coarsely chopped fatty pork or beef pounded with lemongrass kroeung aromatics, stuffed into casings and air-dried.(partial instructions)
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Tevy's Food Blog, Khmer Lemongrass Sausage (Twa Ko kroeung) (March 7, 2011)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mashed, Cambodian dishes to try (February 10, 2024)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Asia Pioneer Travel, Exploring the Best of Street Food in Phnom Penh (April 18, 2024)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 FoodMap, What is Twa Ko? One of the must-try foods in Cambodia
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Hotels.com, 8 Best Dishes in Cambodia (November 3, 2025)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Fifteen, 19 Cambodian Dishes That Showcase the Best of Local Food (August 16, 2025)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Cambodia Daily, Meet the Cambodian Cowboy, a Texas Barbecue Pitmaster in Long Beach (August 3, 2022)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Hello Angkor, An Uncommon Guide to Cambodian Cuisine (August 15, 2019)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cooking Chew, 30 Best Cambodian Foods (March 21, 2025)