This time I was in Cambodia, Siem Reap specifically. There I learnt something new about coffee.
Me and the inn owner debated whether Cambodian or Vietnamese coffee was better. In between he fixed me a cup. Cambodian style, lime to go with the coffee! That was when I first learn of lime coffee.
Does this strange mixture taste good? Well, it goes quite well and I would not mind another cup. You’ve got to try it yourself though. Strange flavor perhaps but quite nice really.
Cambodian coffee is relatively mild. Very unlike the Vietnamese variety which is bitter and caffeine loaded. No burnt sugar taste like the Malaysian ones. In fact it has a sweet tang to it. The Khmers call this real coffee and I agree. But if you are looking for that expresso pump, don’t. You can drink a bucket and there won’t be enough oomph to perk you.
I think adding lime juice is not a local thing. Probably, some kwailo came along and found the bitter not to their liking and squeezed in some lime. The ever observant Cambodian (they went through a war, remember) mistook this and thought that all foreigners like lime with their coffee. So lime coffee was born.
So, next time you find yourself in Cambodia, try the local coffee. And ask for the lime.
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