NPR's Book of the Day Summary

Episode: 'My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook' is Nite Yun’s love letter to food and family

Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Leila Fadel (with intro/outro by Andrew Limbong)
Guest: Nite Yun, chef and author of My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR's Book of the Day spotlights Cambodian-American chef Nite Yun and her debut cookbook, My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook. The conversation explores the power of food as a medium for storytelling, connection, and cultural preservation, drawing on Yun’s personal journey as the American-born daughter of genocide survivors and her efforts to keep Cambodian culinary traditions alive. The discussion mixes recipe walkthroughs with deep and joyful reminiscences, making it a rich tapestry of food, family, resilience, and heritage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins: Food as Family History

• Leila Fadel introduces Nite Yun, setting the stage by noting how Yun’s parents survived Cambodia’s genocide and how food became a bridge to their otherwise unspoken histories.

• Nite Yun recounts (02:03) how she only learned about her parents’ past through visits to Cambodia, where sharing meals with relatives unlocked long-suppressed family stories:

  “I learned that my mom was a beauty queen in her village and my dad fixed motorcycles for the Japanese.” (Nite Yun, 02:10)

• Yun’s mother’s willingness to open up through cooking becomes a theme:

  “Cooking Cambodian food has been a way of storytelling.” (Nite Yun, 02:29)

2. The Cookbook as Celebration and Time Capsule

• Yun’s goal is for the cookbook to encapsulate and celebrate all of Cambodian culture, not just the trauma:

  “I also wanted people to not forget the good times in Cambodia ... when art was thriving. And I want to just put that in a time capsule and celebrate it.” (Nite Yun, 02:50)

• The cookbook includes more than just recipes, such as recommended rock and roll playlists to evoke joyful memories (03:09).

3. Cooking Demonstration: Cha Krung Step-by-Step

• The episode features a remote kitchen walkthrough as Yun guides Leila in making a classic chicken stir fry, Cha Krung.

  • Kerong (krung): Described as foundational to Khmer cuisine; a pounded paste of lemongrass, turmeric, lime leaves, shallots, and galangal (03:54).

    “Kerong is one of the foundations in Khmer cuisine ... ingredients you pound ... then you turn that into this beautiful paste.” (Nite Yun, 03:54)

  • Leila marvels at how making the paste is “an arm workout” (04:10); Yun suggests hosting kerong-making parties for fun and efficiency.

    “Invite all your friends ... And then the goryeong is also very versatile.” (Nite Yun, 04:19)

  • Rohak: (fermented fish paste) is highlighted as the signature flavor:

    “Store, rahok, which is the star in Cambodian cooking. It's like our fermented fish paste.” (Nite Yun, 04:44)

  • Special distinction is made between ginger and galangal (04:55), with Yun explaining the unique contribution of galangal to the dish.

  • The cooking process is described as aromatic, lively, and confidence-building for Leila (05:23):

    “Everything feels more accessible now, like, oh, I can do this.” (Leila Fadel, 05:23)

  • The simple comfort of rice is discussed as a source of nostalgia and home (05:50):

    “Sometimes when I would miss home, I would just cook a pot of rice ... just to fill my room with like, the aroma of like steamed rice. It was just very comforting to me.” (Nite Yun, 05:50)

  • They savor the final product:

    “That depth of flavor you're talking about is basically from the krung and the prahok together, which makes Khmer food so good.” (Nite Yun, 06:11)

4. Food as Cultural Memory and Reclamation

• Yun didn’t grow up cooking Cambodian dishes, but sought the flavors of her childhood as an adult. She references favorites like bright cabbage salad and kuy teav Phnom Penh (pork noodle soup).

  “When my mom would make a big pot of soup ... it was like a very joyful time.” (Nite Yun, 06:32)

• The cookbook doesn’t shy away from her parents’ trauma, contextualizing the resilience of Cambodian culture through survival:

  “My parents ... dodged landmines, survived starvation ... walked under the hot, hot sun to safety so my brother and I could have a better life in America. I didn't learn this as a child at all, but ... I just knew her strength and her determination came from somewhere.” (Nite Yun, 06:56)

5. Why Share Khmer Food Now?

• The erasure of Khmer cuisine due to war and genocide is directly addressed (07:37):

  “Cambodian cuisine is so in the shadow of like Thai and Vietnamese food because we were in the civil war and everything was lost during that time ... people who do know Cambodian food now hold it in their memories.” (Nite Yun, 07:37)

• The cookbook is Yun’s way to honor her family and share those memories with the world.

6. The Power of Food to Invoke Conversation

• Yun’s closing hope for the cookbook:

  “If you want to connect with your parents, grandparents, friends, anyone, really, I hope this book will help you create the space for conversations both loving and ... difficult.” (Nite Yun, as read by Leila Fadel, 08:18)

Timed Notable Quotes

• “Cooking Cambodian food has been a way of storytelling.”
  — Nite Yun, 02:29

• “I also wanted people to not forget the good times in Cambodia ... I want to just put that in a time capsule and celebrate it.”
  — Nite Yun, 02:50

• “Kerong is one of the foundations in Khmer cuisine ... you turn that into this beautiful paste.”
  — Nite Yun, 03:54

• “Store, rahok, which is the star in Cambodian cooking. It's like our fermented fish paste.”
  — Nite Yun, 04:44

• “I just knew her strength and her determination came from somewhere.”
  — Nite Yun, 06:56

• “Cambodian cuisine is so in the shadow of ... Thai and Vietnamese food because ... everything was lost during that time.”
  — Nite Yun, 07:37

• “If you want to connect with your parents, grandparents, friends, anyone, really, I hope this book will help you create the space for conversations both loving and ... difficult.”
  — Nite Yun, as read by Leila Fadel, 08:18

Additional Memorable Moments

• Leila’s kitchen vulnerability:

  • “I get nervous when, like, a real chef watches me cook.” (Leila Fadel, 05:14)

• Celebration of the senses:

  • “Sometimes I wouldn't even eat it, but just to fill my room with ... the aroma of ... steamed rice. It was just very comforting to me.” (Nite Yun, 05:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:41 – Leila Fadel introduces Nite Yun and her family background
• 02:03 – Nite Yun describes learning about her parents' stories in Cambodia
• 03:30 – Virtual cooking lesson begins: Cooking Cha Krung
• 04:44 – Discussion of rahok (fermented fish paste)
• 05:50 – Nite Yun speaks about rice as nostalgia
• 06:32 – Memories around pork noodle soup
• 06:56 – Nite Yun recounts her parents’ traumatic escape
• 07:37 – Discussing cultural loss and reclaiming Khmer food
• 08:18 – Yun’s wish for connection through her cookbook

Final Thoughts

This episode is a heartfelt meditation on how cooks, especially in diaspora, use food to access and transmit memory, family history, and resilience. Through vibrant anecdotes, kitchen tips, and reflective wisdom, Nite Yun’s story underscores the deep significance of sharing a meal—and a recipe—across generations. Listeners are left inspired to cook, remember, and ask questions at the table, no matter where they call home.