Cambodia & Gastronomy: Chef Sopheak Sao to Bring Khmer Cuisine to SIAL Paris 2026

In October, the executive chef of Malis Siem Reap will join a Cambodian delegation at SIAL Paris, one of the world's largest professional food industry events. He will present a Khmer cuisine built around local products, including Kampot pepper, palm sugar, mango and cashew nuts.

Chef Sopheak Sao, at Malis Siem Reap

Chef Sopheak Sao is set to showcase Cambodian gastronomy in Paris. In October 2026, he will take part in SIAL Paris, which will be held from 17 to 21 October at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre. He will represent Cambodia, the Malis Siem Reap restaurant and a Khmer cuisine that seeks to highlight its products, know-how and identity.

This participation comes as Cambodian gastronomy is gaining greater visibility abroad. Long less known internationally than Thai or Vietnamese cuisines, it is now beginning to establish itself as an original cuisine, linked to the history, landscapes and agricultural resources of the Kingdom.

A living Cambodian cuisine

Malis Siem Reap sums up its approach with a simple formula: Living Cambodian Cuisine. The expression reflects a desire to keep Cambodian cuisine alive in the present, without reducing it to a mere reconstruction of ancient recipes.

Since May 2025, the restaurant's kitchens have been led by Sopheak Sao, an executive chef with nearly twenty years of experience. His career is part of a generation of Cambodian cooks who wish to pass on the foundations of Khmer cuisine while presenting them in formats suited to contemporary dining.

In Cambodia, the chef is also known to the public through his role as a judge on MasterChef Junior Cambodia, broadcast on CTN. This media presence gives him particular visibility and helps bring professional gastronomy closer to the general public.

His work is based in particular on the use of products available in Cambodia and on a modern interpretation of Khmer tastes: the balance between salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy, as well as the importance of aromatic herbs, condiment pastes and fermented products. 

A Cambodian delegation in Villepinte

The chef's visit to Paris is part of a Cambodian delegation organised with the support of the Ministry of Commerce. His presence at SIAL is intended to present the country not only as a tourist destination, but also as a territory producing food, ingredients and specialities likely to interest international buyers.

SIAL Paris is a professional trade show dedicated to food and beverages. The 2026 edition will take place from 17 to 21 October 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte. According to information published by the organiser, it is expected to bring together around 8,000 exhibitors and 295,000 professionals over an area of more than 280,000 square metres.

The show brings together manufacturers, distributors, importers, restaurateurs, buyers and food innovation specialists. It is therefore both a commercial platform and a space for discovering new consumer trends.

The 2026 edition will place particular emphasis on innovation, young companies, sustainability and changing eating habits. The organiser expects more than 650 start-ups, including nearly 150 presented in the SIAL Start-up space.

For Cambodia, participation in such an event represents an opportunity to promote products that are still little present on European markets. The chef's culinary demonstration can also give a face and a story to these ingredients, linking them to a specific culture and gastronomic tradition.

Cambodian products on the international stage

The demonstration prepared by Sopheak Sao will highlight several Cambodian ingredients: Kampot pepper, palm sugar, mango and cashew nuts.

These products are not chosen at random. They illustrate the diversity of Cambodian terroirs and the possibility of using them in recipes intended for an international audience. The chef will have to show how ingredients familiar in Cambodian kitchens can be transformed into preparations accessible to professionals from different countries.

Kampot pepper occupies a special place in this presentation. It is one of the first Cambodian products protected by the geographical indications system. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Kampot pepper was registered as a geographical indication in Cambodia in 2010 and obtained European recognition in 2016.

Kampong Speu palm sugar also benefits from recognition as a product linked to its territory of origin. The protection of geographical indications aims in particular to preserve a product's reputation, guarantee compliance with certain production characteristics and better valorise the work of local producers.

These labels give products a more precise identity. They make it possible to present them not as simple raw materials, but as products associated with a region, agricultural practices and a history.

The stakes of geographical indications

Geographical indications play an important economic role for producing countries. They can help combat misuse of a name, strengthen consumer confidence and improve producers' position in the value chain.

In the case of Kampot pepper, the name refers to a geographical origin, but also to a set of specifications and a reputation built up over several years. International recognition enables producers and exporters to better distinguish the product from similar peppers sold under more general names.

For Kampong Speu palm sugar, the issue is comparable. Highlighting the origin and production methods can help support rural communities and preserve traditional know-how subject to competition from industrial products.

The presence of a chef at an international show complements this approach. A label protects a name and a product; a culinary demonstration shows how that product can be used, tasted and integrated into a gastronomic experience.

From product to experience

In Paris, Sopheak Sao will therefore not only present a series of ingredients. He will offer a way of understanding Cambodian cuisine.

Kampot pepper can provide an aromatic heat different from the spiciness of a chilli. Palm sugar can give a caramelised depth to a sauce or dessert. Mango recalls the importance of tropical fruits in the country's daily diet, while cashew nuts highlight an agricultural production that can be used in both savoury and sweet preparations.

The challenge will be to preserve the identity of these products while making them readable for an international professional audience. In this type of demonstration, the chef must explain the ingredients, techniques and taste balances, but also tell their story.

This narrative dimension is essential. Buyers and food professionals are not just looking for a product; they are also interested in its history, traceability, production conditions and commercial potential.

A showcase for Malis Siem Reap

For Malis Siem Reap, the event is also an opportunity to strengthen the establishment's image internationally.

The restaurant is part of an approach that combines Cambodian cuisine, hospitality and the promotion of the national culinary heritage. The chef's participation in SIAL extends this identity beyond the restaurant dining room and the Siem Reap destination.

The trip to Paris can also help to present another image of Cambodian gastronomy. It is not limited to popular dishes or recipes served in markets. It also includes elaborate techniques, great regional diversity and an ability to evolve in an international context.

The chef's role is therefore twofold: he is both a cook and an ambassador. Through his dishes, he presents flavours; through his explanations, he gives cultural reference points; through his choice of suppliers and products, he contributes to the promotion of a national food chain.

A milestone for Khmer gastronomy

Sopheak Sao's participation in SIAL Paris 2026 therefore goes beyond the framework of a simple culinary demonstration. It is part of a broader movement to enhance the value of Cambodian cuisine and products from its territories.

For foreign professionals, this presentation could open the way to new contacts with Cambodian producers, exporters, restaurateurs and companies. For the Cambodian public, it will be a further sign of international recognition of national know-how.

Seeing a Cambodian chef defending Cambodian products under his own name is still rare on such a large stage. The event will thus bring together three elements: the personality of a chef, the identity of a restaurant and the potential of a producing country.

In Paris, Sopheak Sao will not only seek to make people taste Cambodia. He will seek to show that a cuisine rooted in its origins can also dialogue with the world.