Recognized by the Gourmand Awards as “Best Cookbook in the World.”

A smiling woman with glasses and an apron holding two menus with Asian-inspired artwork, standing in a restaurant setting.

SAOY: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine

SAOY is Chef Nak’s internationally acclaimed Cambodian cookbook, crowned “Best Cookbook in the World” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, widely regarded as one of the highest honors in global cookbook awards. More than recipes, SAOY revives Cambodia’s royal culinary heritage.

Built on recipes compiled and taught by Her Royal Highness Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana in the 1960s, the book preserves a refined cuisine shaped in the kitchens of Cambodian royalty. Chef Nak respectfully reinterprets this legacy for today, bringing back long-lost flavors, forgotten techniques, and the philosophy of balance at the heart of Khmer cooking.

With luminous dish photography and original artwork by young Cambodian artists, SAOY is made to cook from, learn from, and preserve—an invitation to experience Cambodian cuisine as an elegant, enduring culinary tradition.

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A traditional Asian meal set on a decorative blue and white porcelain tray with various small dishes of salad greens, and a floral garnished dish, all adorned with green leaves. The tray is placed on a brown cloth with black and gold bottles and a pa
Open book displaying a black-and-white photograph of people in a room and a colorful cover featuring a woman in traditional attire with tea and desserts; gold decorative object, small bowl with white rice, and ornate silver utensils on a dark wooden
A top-down view of a Vietnamese meal with a bowl of seafood salad, surrounded by leafy greens, a tomato, and a small dish of white sauce on an ornate tray with chopsticks.
An open book with watercolor illustrations of flowers and handwritten labels, a brass spoon on the table, a box of colorful limes and lemons, and a partially visible painting or print of a woman in traditional attire.
An open book showing illustrations and notes about coconuts, limes, and lemongrass on a wooden table, accompanied by a gold spoon, a closed book titled 'SAVOY,' and a bowl of limes and small yellow fruits.
Traditional Vietnamese dish of white rice noodles, garnished with green leaves, served on a decorative black and gold tray with lime slices, small golden objects, and a gold container with chopsticks.
A cook book open to a recipe titled Shrimp Paste Dip with Crispy Rice, featuring a black background and an image of deep-fried shrimp paste and crispy rice flakes, placed on a light wooden surface.
Open cookbook opened to a recipe for chicken spiced rice, with a picture of rice and spices on the left page.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • SAOY: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine is a cookbook that honors Cambodia’s royal home cooking traditions—recipes, techniques, and flavor balance rooted in Khmer culinary heritage. It’s designed as both a cooking guide and a cultural record of refined Cambodian cuisine.

  • SAOY focuses specifically on Royal Cambodian home cuisine—a style known for precision, balance, elegance, and deeply Cambodian flavor foundations. Alongside recipes, it highlights the cultural context and culinary philosophy that shaped royal and heritage cooking in Cambodia.

  • Many recipes are achievable for home cooks, especially if you follow the steps and prepare ingredients in advance. Some dishes are more intricate (as royal cuisine often is), but SAOY is written to guide you clearly through techniques, pacing, and flavor building.

  • SAOY features classic Cambodian dishes presented through a royal home-cooking lens—aromatic soups, curries, relishes, salads, preserves, and celebratory recipes that showcase Khmer ingredients, careful seasoning, and refined presentation.

  • SAOY uses authentic Cambodian staples—such as kroeung (aromatic paste), fish sauce, palm sugar, kaffir lime, galangal, turmeric, and fresh herbs. Many ingredients can be found in Asian markets, and the book helps you understand substitutions while still keeping the true Khmer flavor profile.

  • SAOY has been recognized internationally, including being named “Best Cookbook in the World” by the Gourmand Awards. It’s widely regarded as a landmark publication for Cambodian cuisine and culinary heritage.