Cambodians consider amok trei their national dish, Thais believe that hor mok was created in their Royal kitchen, Laos have their mok pa while the Malay archipelago has a similar dish called otak otak or "brain". So where did this dish come from and what is the relationship between Cambodian amok trei, Thai hor mok, Lao mok pa and Malay / Indonesian otak otak?
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Cambodian amok trei is made with kroeung (hand pounded spice paste of lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, garlic, onion, kaffir lime leaf, finger root, etc), chili paste, cubed fish, coconut milk, fish sauce, fermented shrimp paste, sugar, salt, and beaten chicken egg, all in a cup made of banana leaf, topped with coconut cream and cooked by steaming. Served garnished with fine slivers of kaffir lime leaf and chili pepper.
Thai hor mok pla is made with Thai curry paste which is a pounded blend of lemongrass, galangal, rehydrated dried chili, fresh chili, fermented shrimp paste, coriander seed, shallot, garlic, cilantro root, kaffir lime skin, salt, white peppercorn, etc. The curry paste is hand mixed with mashed fish, fish slices, fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk, egg, kaffir lime leaf. The mixture is poured into cups made of banana leaf which are lined with shredded cabbage and Thai basil. The fish and curry custard is cooked by steaming. Served topped with coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf and red chili.
Thai hor mok and Cambodian amok trei have more similarities than differences.
The otak otak of the Malay archipelago is made with rempah (spice mix of dried chili, fresh chili, kaffir lime leaf, shallot, garlic, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, candlenut, fermented shrimp or belacan, etc). The rempah is mixed with chopped fish (usually mackerel), culantro (sawtooth cilantro), kaffir lime leaf, coconut milk, tamarind juice, thicken with rice flour and egg, palm sugar, salt. Wrap the fish and spice mix with banana leaf. Unlike the Thai and Cambodian versions which are open top, the Malay archipelago otak otak is fully wrapped like a small parcel or envelope. Otak otak is cooked either by steaming or grilling (traditionally over charcoal). Besides banana leaf, otak otak is also wrapped in attap (nipa) palm leaf.
Lao mok pa uses catfish which is mixed with a paste made with kaffir lime leaf, shallot, garlic, fresh red chili pepper, lemongrass, coriander root, galangal, etc., thickened with sticky rice water and flavoured with padaek (unfiltered fish sauce), fish sauce, dill, scallion, and rice paddy herb. The fish, spice, herb and sticky rice mixture is wrapped in a banana leaf parcel and cooked by steaming. Unlike the Thai, Cambodian and Malay / Indonesian versions, the Lao mok pa does not use coconut milk at all.
There's a lot of similarities between amok trei, hor mok, mok pa and otak otak. All involve fish, spices, herbs, aromatics, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked by steaming or grilling. All use coconut milk except for the Lao mok pa which uses sticky rice.
The origin of amok trei, hor mok pla, mok pa and otak otak is uncertain and contested. Some believe it was created in the Khmer empire (802 - 1431) palace kitchen and spread to the Ayuthaya empire (1351 - 1767) palace. Others believe it spread in the opposite direction i.e. from Ayuthaya to Khmer. Similarly, some believe amok trei / hor mok pla travelled from mainland Southeast Asia to the Malay archipelago. Then, there are theories that Chinese traders brought the dish to Palembang during the Dutch colonial era.
We can look at clues from the history of Southeast Asia, from the ebb and flow of empires for possible theories of how the fish amok might have flowed in the river of time. I have only questions for which we can use to explore and hopefully find the answers to the origin of fish amok.
Jayavarman II (770 - 850) is widely regarded as the king who founded the Khmer empire (802 - 1431). Jayavarman II lived in Java for a while during the Javanese Sailendra dynasty (750 - 850).
At that time, the Sailendra dynasty of the Srivijaya empire ruled over Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and parts of today's Cambodia.
Jayavarman II returned to Cambodia and founded the Khmer empire in 802. One could suggest that Jayavarman II brought otak otak back to Cambodia. By this theory, Malay / Javanese otak otak became amok trei in the Khmer empire.
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The domain of the Khmer empire which lasted till 1431 included today's Thailand and Laos (as well as Vietnam).
The Siamese Ayuthaya empire was founded in 1351, carved from the once mighty Khmer empire during its nadir. The Laotian Lan Xang empire was similarly founded in 1353 i.e. at around the same time as the Ayuthaya empire.
Might it not be that the Thai hor mok and Laotian mok pa have their roots from Khmer amok trei which in turn possibly came from Malay / Javanese otak otak?
As I said before, at the moment I have only questions with which to seek answers and evidence.
Of the Link between Srivijaya and Khmer
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