Thnot d’Or 2023 : the Prahôk Cube of the RUA team wins 1st prize

It is with tears of joy that the team of the Royal University of Agriculture – RUA – welcomed the announcement of its victory at the Thnot d’Or 2023 on Saturday June 17. Composed of Ly Sreysan, Léang Sonyta, En Sovannleap and You Thuonangkeadarith, this team was honored for its project to produce prahôk in cube, plain and flavored, in response to the theme of the competition: “how to make prahôk a successful export product”.

An emblematic product of Cambodian gastronomy, this fermented fish paste upsets many foreigners with its very marked taste and smell. Like the ten other teams selected for the final of this fourth edition of the Thnot d’Or, the winning team endeavored to make prahôk acceptable to non-Cambodian taste buds and nostrils while offering it in a form that facilitates use and storage.

Two teams from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia – one for its idea of powdered prahôk, the other for its proposal of prahôk in three forms – paste, sauce and curry – completed the podium.

The three prizes – 1000 usd, 500 usd and 250 usd – were presented to them at a ceremony chaired by HE Sen Sovann, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture representing the Minister, and Dr Hay Ly Eang, founding president of the Kinal Foundation, organizer of the Thnot d’Or, a competition intended to promote the spirit of research and innovation among students in agronomy and food production in the kingdom.

“By imagining this trophy in 2017, the Kinal Foundation, supported by Confirel and PPM Laboratories, wanted to encourage young students in agronomy and food production to embark on the path of research and innovation in order to contribute to the rural development by offering consumers authentic quality Khmer products capable of establishing themselves on the world market. Our ancestors left us the recipe and the traditional form of prahôk that we eat on Cambodian tables. Only research and innovation will bring us prahôk as it will be consumed tomorrow on tables around the world. Ultimately, associating ancestral know-how and innovation is more than an economic issue, it is an issue for the preservation of Khmer culture”, underlined Dr. Hay Ly Eang before the proclamation of the winners.

Philippe Monnin, General Manager of Memot Rubber Plantation, was the president of the jury which was composed, for this edition, of Mr. Sok Sarang, international auditor at ECOCERT, Mr. Hay Pisey, director of Mittapheap Freight and Logistic, Dr. Ai Songheang, Director at the Ministry of Education, Mr. Lao Reasey, Deputy Director of the Department of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Commerce and Dr. Buntong Borarin, Director of Research at the Royal University of Agriculture.

“The Thnot d’Or are intended to concretely involve Cambodian students in the agricultural and agri-food development of the Kingdom. It is an opportunity for them to project themselves during their studies into the real economic world and to put forward ideas and innovations illustrating their involvement in the promotion of various Cambodian productions. It is also an opportunity for the agri-food sector to discover talents, new ideas that could lead to better development of Cambodia’s overall economy,” noted Philippe Monnin.

Secretary of State Sen Sovann said he was very interested in this trophy, which, according to him, fits in well with his ministry’s policy in favor of in-depth development of agriculture. “I hope that the Kinal Foundation will continue to organize this competition in the future to respond to the lack of knowledge in the research and processing of our agricultural products”, he insisted.

Selected from the 39 teams entered, the ten selected for the final on the basis of a concept note had to demonstrate to the jury the relevance and feasibility of their idea through an oral presentation and a question-and-answer.

Alongside the pillars which are Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Royal University of Agronomy, Royal University of Phnom Penh, National Institute of Agriculture of Preak Leap, Saint-Paul Institute and Kampong Cham National, University of Agriculture, Battambang National University, Meancheay National University, Kampong Chheuteal Institute of Technology and Kampong Speu Institute of Technology joined the competition this year, for a total of almost 200 students.