Cambodian charcoal-heated soup pot with pork, herbs, and fragrant aromatics — a warming communal dish built around the living flame at the table.
Ang dtom is Cambodia's version of a hot pot or communal soup, traditionally cooked in a clay or aluminum pot with a charcoal chimney in the center that keeps the broth simmering at the table throughout the meal. Unlike Chinese or Japanese hot pots where raw ingredients are cooked to order at the table, ang dtom is typically a fully cooked broth — pork ribs or pork neck slow-simmered with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and sometimes Cambodian herbs like mango leaves or sacred basil — served in the charcoal pot for theatrical warmth and the subtle smokiness the charcoal imparts. It is a communal dish, eaten by sharing from the central pot, with fresh herbs, rice, and lime juice alongside. Ang dtom is associated with cool-weather gatherings, the dry season (November to February), and family celebrations — when the charcoal chimney pot on the table becomes the center of both warmth and conversation.
Serves 6
Bring water to a boil, add pork and parboil 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove impurities. Clean the pot.
Return pork to the clean pot with 1.5 liters fresh water. Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, garlic, and shallots. Bring to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes until pork is tender.
Parboiling and rinsing the pork is essential — it removes blood and bone fragments that make the broth murky and bitter.
Add pumpkin and simmer 10 minutes. Add long beans and cook 5 more minutes. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy.
Add fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste — the broth should be clear, fragrant, gently savory, and aromatic with lemongrass and galangal.
Transfer to a charcoal hot pot or keep in the pot on a portable stove. Serve with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, steamed rice, and lime wedges. Add bean sprouts and herbs directly into the simmering broth as you eat.
The parboiling step is not optional — it makes the difference between a clear, bright broth and a murky one.
If using a traditional charcoal pot, light the charcoal separately and add it once glowing to avoid kerosene flavor.
Fresh herbs added at the table rather than during cooking preserve their bright, volatile aromatics.
Seafood ang dtom: replace pork with shrimp, squid, and fish balls for a lighter broth.
Chicken ang dtom: use whole chicken portions for a milder version suitable for children.
Refrigerate broth (without fresh herbs) up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop and add fresh vegetables and herbs when serving.
Communal clay-pot soups over charcoal are documented in Cambodian court records from the post-Angkor period and are closely related to similar hot pot traditions across mainland Southeast Asia. The ang dtom format — a specific charcoal chimney pot called chhnang ang dtom — is distinctively Cambodian and is manufactured today in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia's traditional pottery region.
Not at all — a regular heavy pot on a portable induction stove at the table works perfectly. The charcoal pot is traditional but the dish is defined by the broth and ingredients, not the vessel.
Yes — ang dtom is flexible. Chicken, fish balls, tofu, and shellfish are all common additions. Add them in order of cooking time, starting with those that need longest.
Yes — a clear, aromatic broth is the goal. If it's cloudy, it wasn't parboiled and rinsed properly, or it boiled too vigorously. Skim any foam during the first 10 minutes of simmering.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 6 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.