“The Taste of Angkor” awarded “Best Asian Cookbook

Caption : Dr Hay Ly Eang with Edouard Cointreau, creator of the “Gourmands Awards

Published by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage “culinary diplomacy”, “The Taste of Angkor” was awarded “Best Asian Cookbook” at the “Gourmands Awards” held at the end of November during the World Cuisine Week in Paris. The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were created in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau to support culinary traditions around the world. Each year, they reward the best books on cooking and wine as well as culinary programs on television. This year, 198 countries participated in the competition, for a total of 4000 cookbooks.

Interviewed by RFI’s Paris bureau in Khmer, Ket Sorphann, Cambodia’s ambassador in France expressed the pride felt by all Cambodians to receive such an award. “It is the thousand-year-old greatness of Khmer civilization that is recognized through this award and all Cambodians should be proud of it. This cookbook is part of the strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, which, at the initiative of H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon and Minister of Foreign Affairs, must contribute to the promotion of our culture and cultural exchanges with other nations, tourism and trade,” said the ambassador. With this award, Cambodian diplomats in Paris will encourage Cambodian restaurants in France to include recipes from the book on their menus. Invited by the Cambodian embassy in Paris, the Kampong Speu Palm Sugar Promotion Association (KSPA) had a booth during this World Cuisine Week exhibition where Confirel products were highlighted. Dr. Hay Ly Eang, founder of Confirel, represented the Association as his honorary president.