03/09/2026
✍🏼 Admin’s Note
Younger generations born from 2005 onwards might not enjoy this as much, but chha kwai with hot or iced condensed milk coffee was, and still is, very popular among older Cambodians. As a ’90s kid, I was also raised to love this combination. And yes, this is usually a breakfast thing.
If you go to local markets or cafés around dawn, you'll often find older Cambodians sitting at a table, enjoying their morning coffee with a piece of chha kwai.
Chha kwai is a long, golden-brown, deep-fried strip of wheat flour dough that originated in China over a thousand years ago. Since Cambodians and Chinese communities have been living alongside each other for centuries, it’s only natural that our food cultures have influenced each other too.
Chha kwai used to cost just 500 Riels (around $0.13) per piece. You can still find it at that price, but it’s becoming quite rare around Phnom Penh, with most places now selling it for 1,000 Riels (around $0.25). Either way, it’s still ridiculously cheap.
It’s also very easy to find around Phnom Penh. Some vendors sell it at street corners, while others go around with their motor carts.
Dipping it with coffee isn't the only way you can enjoy it. You can also have it on its own, dip it in condensed milk, or have it with rice porridge. These are all very local ways of enjoying it.
There’s also another variation that I grew up with, the Cambodian short baguette, which we call 𝗻𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗮𝗯, with hot or iced condensed milk coffee.
A Cambodian short baguette usually costs 1,000 Riels (~$0.25) per piece, and you can find it almost everywhere, from local bakeries to street markets.
Have you tried either of these before? Which one would you pick, chha kwai or nom pang saab?
