Students are awarded the Thnot d’Or Award 2023 at a ceremony held in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district on June 17. Heng Chivoan
Three ambitious student groups, from the Faculty of Agro-Industry at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), have scooped up accolades this year from the Kinal Foundation for their groundbreaking work on prahok – a ubiquitous pungent-smelling fermented fish paste used in a wide variety of local dishes. The victors emerged from a pool of 39 groups who eagerly entered the competition.
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“The aim is to add more value to prahok and transform it into an exportable product,” said Hay Ly Eang, president and CEO of Investco Holding, PPM, Confirel and Kinal Foundation, at the Thnot d’Or Awards ceremony on June 17.
This year, the contest saw participation from eight higher education institutions, marking a substantial increase from the previous edition.
Prahok has a mysterious yet rich origin, its tradition encapsulated in the ancient stone walls of Angkor Wat.
“No one really knows who first made prahok, but what we know is that it’s delectable and nutritious. For the first time, we’ve turned this traditional dish into a competition, attracting an enthusiastic response from our nation’s future pioneers,” Ly Eang said.
“Now, we’re securing international-level intellectual property rights [IPR] for processed prahok. With the IPR, I envisage a significant future for prahok, boosting its value and export demand,” he added.
Apart from the awards, the Kinal Foundation plans to support the students further in large-scale prahok production for overseas markets.
“This award is just the beginning. We need the young talents and their energy. We want to connect them to our roots, our nation, our culture and our prahok,” he emphasised.
While the exact timeline for prahok’s international debut remains unclear, potential markets are under study. Just a month into the export project, it has already won hearts, especially among foreign consumers. Ly Eang added that just a hint of prahok can transform a simple omelette into a divine delicacy.
Sen Sovann, secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, added his endorsement at the event, comparing prahok to other global food identities like cheese and tofu. He commended the winners for their innovative take on prahok, bolstering its reputation as a national symbol.
Ly Eang concluded on an optimistic note: “We are incredibly proud if Cambodian prahok can become an indispensable ingredient worldwide, offering us a new export product.
“Congratulations to the students of the Faculty of Agro-Industry on winning the Thnot d’Or awards from the Kinal Foundation 2023 for creatively reimagining prahok with sour krasang fruit and tamarind tastes,” the RUA said in a Facebook post on June 17.
