A unique peppercorn and a difficult time in their lives led to the business that’s helping Panha Neou and Sophea Heang spread the flavours of their Cambodian cuisine.
Fresh ingredients, handpicked produce, moderate spice and blend of sweet, salty and sour are some of the hallmarks of Cambodian cuisine. They’re part of what Panha Neou and Sophea Heang, co-founders of Angkor Harvest, are offering to Vancouver Farmers Market customers. The pair also share knowledge about their culture and traditional farming methods and, as immigrants, emphasize the importance of sharing culinary traditions with their two young daughters.
Neou arrived in Canada in 2003. His first experience of Canada was in Toronto, and he laughs when he talks about the shock of going “from plus 30 to minus 30” in temperature. “I was homesick and longed for food from Cambodia.” So he began cooking and making some of the dishes he grew up with.
In 2007, he moved to Vancouver and soon met Heang via a friend. Her story is different. She was born in Thailand and came to Canada with her parents as a three-year-old Cambodian refugee. She remembers her mum growing lemongrass in a pot in their living room in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Growing up between two cultures, Heang, a poet and writer, says, “I act as a bit of a bridge; I can see both sides.”
After a painful loss that left the couple grieving their stillborn twins, a trip to Cambodia provided an opportunity to be with family as well as a new start. Neou used the trip to reconnect with childhood memories of travelling to the countryside to harvest palm sugar, and he visited a farm that grew Kampot pepper.
It was during this time that Neou seized on the idea of importing Kampot pepper and began bringing it home, along with palm sugar. Heang explains that “It was nostalgic for him, and it provided the impetus for him to want to share [this food] with others.”
Kampot pepper is a type of peppercorn produced in black, red, white and green varieties and is unique to Cambodia’s Kampot province, where it has been grown since at least the 13th century. The area’s quartz-rich soil creates a distinct terroir, and the peppercorn has a certified geographic indication monitored by the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association. Angkor Harvest’s packaging for the black peppercorns describes flavours with “hints of flower, eucalyptus and mint” and its spiciness, Heang adds, has a “lingering effect.” Angkor Harvest also sells the red and white varieties.
The company values its support for the traditional farming methods of their suppliers in Cambodia, where Kampot pepper is still harvested in a labour-intensive, traditional manner. They explain that it’s not only about supporting these farmers monetarily but about supporting the survival of a traditional culture. Today, they work with several farms that harvest both Kampot peppers and palm sap, which is made into palm sugar.
While Angkor Harvest’s origins lie in importing these commodities to Canada, Heang explains that it was when they began making sauces to sell at farmers’ markets that they were really able to connect with customers. Their first sauce was Kampot Pepper Lime Sauce, a blend of organic fresh lime, palm sugar, Kampot pepper, and sea salt, which the company recommends for meat, seafood and fish. They followed this with three other sauces: Kampot Pepper Steak Sauce, Kampot Pepper Banana Ketchup and Cambodian Mango Sauce.
A line of meat skewers made with beef and chicken soon followed. Sold frozen and vacuum packed, the skewers are easy to prepare at home and can be grilled, pan-fried or even dropped into the air fryer. And while preparing these may be convenient , their emphasis is on flavour. The skewers are made with the company’s Cambodian Kroeung Marinade. The lemongrass paste is a staple of Cambodian cuisine and draws on aromatic flavours of turmeric, galangal, garlic, shallots, finger root, lime leaves, olive oil, sea salt and organic cane sugar. It’s a family recipe passed down from Heang’s mother and can also be the star of a stir-fry or a flavourful addition to hearty stews and soups.
The company uses local ingredients where they can, including garlic, shallots and sea salt from B.C. as well as local chicken and beef.
Talking about the importance of food, Heang says that it “serves a primal need but is social and cultural. It offers immediate access to another person’s culture.” She calls food “the icebreaker that leads to meaningful conversations.”
Angkor Harvest
angkorharvest.com | @angkor_harvest
Find them at Riley Park Farmers Market and Kitsilano Winter Farmers Market. Check their website for specific dates.
