The Canon

Sour Soup with Fish

សម្លម្ជូរត្រីkmSamlor Machu Treykm-Latn

Also: Samlor Machu Trey, Cambodian sour fish soup, Machu Trey

A Cambodian sour-and-savoury soup of freshwater fish simmered in a tamarind-soured broth brightened with tomato, pineapple, and fresh herbs.

Identity criteria

  1. 1Broth soured primarily with tamarind (sometimes lime or sour fruit), not vinegar
  2. 2Freshwater fish as the protein, often Mekong river fish
  3. 3A clear-to-light, brothy soup rather than a thick stew or curry
  4. 4Balanced sweet-sour-savoury profile with tomato and pineapple
  5. 5Finished with fresh aromatic herbs and eaten with rice

Components

Base

Fish or water brothessential

Water spinach or other leafy vegetablesoptional

Protein

Freshwater fish (catfish, snakehead, or similar)essentialRiver fish is canonical to the Cambodian original

Aromatics

Lemongrass, garlic, galangalessential

Acid

TamarindessentialThe defining sour note; gives the dish its name (machu = sour)

Seasoning

Fish sauce, palm sugar, saltessentialPalm sugar balances the tamarind sourness

Garnish

Tomato wedges, pineapple, fresh herbs (rice-paddy herb, sawtooth coriander, basil)essential

Technique

Souring the broth
Tamarind dissolved into the simmering liquid sets the dish's signature tang, balanced against palm sugar and fish sauce
Gentle simmering of fish
Delicate freshwater fish must poach gently so it stays intact and tender rather than disintegrating

Form & serving

Served
In a communal bowl, ladled over or alongside steamed rice
Temperature
hot
Portion
Shared family-style as part of a multi-dish meal
Pairs with
Steamed jasmine rice · Prahok or fish-sauce dip · Other shared dishes

Character

Flavour

soursavouryumamilightly sweetherbal

Texture

Light brothy soup with tender flakes of fish and soft vegetables

Eaten

An everyday Cambodian family soup served in the shared centre of the table to be spooned over rice.

When

year-round

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • Samlor machu kreung · Cambodia

    A version built on a lemongrass-galangal spice paste (kreung) for a more aromatic broth

  • Pineapple-forward version · Cambodia

    Extra pineapple pushes the sweet-sour balance toward sweet

Related dishes

  • sibling Canh chua

    Vietnamese sour fish soup sharing the tamarind-tomato-pineapple template

  • sibling Tom yum

    Thai hot-and-sour soup with overlapping sour-aromatic logic

  • pairs-with Steamed rice

    Eaten over rice as part of a Khmer meal

Substitutions

  • Tamarind → Lime juice or sour fruitadmissible

    Acceptable regional alternative when tamarind is scarce; shifts the sour profile slightly

  • Freshwater fish → Firm sea fishadmissible

    Workable substitute though it loses the river-fish character of the original

  • Tamarind/sour element → No acidinadmissible

    Removing the sourness makes it a plain fish soup, not machu trey — the dish is defined by its tang

Common mistakes

  • Over-souring with vinegar instead of tamarind, losing the rounded fruit tang
  • Boiling the fish hard so it breaks apart
  • Omitting palm sugar, leaving the soup harshly sour and unbalanced
  • Treating it as a thick curry rather than a clear, brothy soup

Provenance

A long-standing Khmer everyday soup centred on the freshwater fish of the Mekong and Tonle Sap, with souring fruits a staple of Cambodian home cooking.

Claimed by: Cambodia

References

  1. 1.Khmer culinary tradition
  2. 2.Cambodian home-cooking references

Confidence: high