Sombai Infused Cambodian Liqueur: Workshop Visit and Liqueur Tasting
Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
Rating: 
Trip Type: Food Tours
Duration: 60 minutes
Come discover the local liqueur of Siem Reap in a typical Khmer house. See how it is prepared in a specially designed workshop, then sits for two months in the infusion room before being bottled. Learn about the story behind the fusion between the local tradition of infusing rice wine for medicinal purpose in Cambodia and the recipes of infused rum from Mauritius. Admire the unique designs hand-painted on the bottles by young Cambodian artists. Enjoy the tantalizing journey through the 8 flavors nibbling on local snacks in a homey and comfortable tasting lounge. There is also a wide array of Khmer spices, infused cooking oil, Kampot pepper, aromatised Kampot sea salts and amazing hand-painted jars or decorative bottles. Find out souvenirs that are not "same, same" but really different.
Your visit includes a pick-up from your hotel as the place might be difficult to find if you venture on your own.
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Come discover the local liqueur of Siem Reap in a typical Khmer house. See how it is prepared in a specially designed workshop, then sits for two months in the infusion room before being bottled. Learn about the story behind the fusion between the local tradition of infusing rice wine for medicinal purpose in Cambodia and the recipes of infused rum from Mauritius. Admire the unique designs hand-painted on the bottles by young Cambodian artists. Enjoy the tantalizing journey through the 8 flavors nibbling on local snacks in a homey and comfortable tasting lounge. There is also a wide array of Khmer spices, infused cooking oil, Kampot pepper, aromatised Kampot sea salts and amazing hand-painted jars or decorative bottles. Find out souvenirs that are not "same, same" but really different.
Your visit includes a pick-up from your hotel as the place might be difficult to find if you venture on your own.
After picking you up from your hotel in Siem Reap, your driver will take you to the workshop in Salakamreuk village, located just beyond Wat Damnak Pagoda. After taking off your shoes (as it is the tradition in Cambodia and also for hygienic reasons when entering a food processing workshop), a short set of steep stairs will take to up to the infusion room, a characteristic typical of the houses in Cambodia. Don't worry, as there are normal stairs if you are not comfortable. Once there, you will get to see more than a hundred glass jars full of local fruits, such as mango, banana, coconut, pineapple, lemon, tamarind and orange, herbs such as lemongrass and green tea, spices including anise seed, cinnamon, ginger, galangal and chili, all soaking in the alcohol until the infusion is completed. You will be amazed at the color of the infused alcohol that changes with time, and how the fruits evolve along the weeks. Through the window, you can have a peek at the "laboratory" whenever the production staff is at work. With hygiene rules perfectly respected, you will understand that the product is really home-made there. Your guide will be on hand answer all your questions about the production process.
After this 15-minute visit, you will be rewarded by a tasting of the 8 flavors. It will start by the flavors that are less sweet, through the spicy ones, the sweet and sour, the digestive and ending with the sweet dessert tastes. Offered, along with a bottle of cold water, are local snacks composed of taro chips, banana chips, cashew nuts or flavored peanuts to accompany your drinks. Once you have chosen your favorite flavor, feel free to shop around if you wish to bring back a unique souvenir (no obligation). To add to your culinary experience, you can also taste the aromatic salts and infused cooking oils that are prepared at the workshop.
Once you are done (after approx. 30 minutes), your driver will bring you back to town or to your hotel.
After picking you up from your hotel in Siem Reap, your driver will take you to the workshop in Salakamreuk village, located just beyond Wat Damnak Pagoda. After taking off your shoes (as it is the tradition in Cambodia and also for hygienic reasons when entering a food processing workshop), a short set of steep stairs will take to up to the infusion room, a characteristic typical of the houses in Cambodia. Don't worry, as there are normal stairs if you are not comfortable. Once there, you will get to see more than a hundred glass jars full of local fruits, such as mango, banana, coconut, pineapple, lemon, tamarind and orange, herbs such as lemongrass and green tea, spices including anise seed, cinnamon, ginger, galangal and chili, all soaking in the alcohol until the infusion is completed. You will be amazed at the color of the infused alcohol that changes with time, and how the fruits evolve along the weeks. Through the window, you can have a peek at the "laboratory" whenever the production staff is at work. With hygiene rules perfectly respected, you will understand that the product is really home-made there. Your guide will be on hand answer all your questions about the production process.
After this 15-minute visit, you will be rewarded by a tasting of the 8 flavors. It will start by the flavors that are less sweet, through the spicy ones, the sweet and sour, the digestive and ending with the sweet dessert tastes. Offered, along with a bottle of cold water, are local snacks composed of taro chips, banana chips, cashew nuts or flavored peanuts to accompany your drinks. Once you have chosen your favorite flavor, feel free to shop around if you wish to bring back a unique souvenir (no obligation). To add to your culinary experience, you can also taste the aromatic salts and infused cooking oils that are prepared at the workshop.
Once you are done (after approx. 30 minutes), your driver will bring you back to town or to your hotel.
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