We brought this dish (photo #1) to a July 4th party and quite a few people proclaimed their preference for it over the coleslaw, and asked for the recipe. We love good coleslaw, but this is a more refreshing (and much less caloric) change of pace.

Serve it as a side (from a sandwich to including anything off the grill). Add a protein to turn it into a main course. We even top it with our frequent lunch go-to, a jar of flavored Tonnino tuna.

Instead of mayonnaise or vinaigrette, this slaw†† has heat and sweet notes.

Why is it called “Khmer?”

The Khmer people are native to Cambodia, where they comprise more than 95% of the population. The Khmer people have a long and rich history. The magnificent Hindu-Buddhist temple complex of Angkor Wat is a testament to the achievements of the Khmer Empire.

The contributor of this recipe, Hannah Heavener of Texas, spent her childhood in Cambodia, where it’s a favorite breakfast food. Hannah loves it as a side for lunch or dinner, “especially,” she notes, “with chicken satay.”

Thanks to Hannah and the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, which shared this recipe with us.

Because Hannah mentioned chicken satay as a perfect pairing, we include a recipe (photo #4).

We also took the liberty of garnishing our own version of the salad with roasted peanuts. Those who like more heat can choose spicy peanuts (photo #3).
 
 
KHMER PICKLED VEGETABLE SALAD

If you can’t find daikon (pronounced DYE-con) radishes, use any other radish—you don’t need to peel it. Daikon in particular (photo #6) is peeled because its skin can be slightly tough and sometimes bitter.

Daikon means “big root” in Japanese. Native to East Asia, its a member of the high-antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic Brassicaceae family.
 
Ingredients For 16 3/4-Cup Servings

For The Salad

 
For The Dressing

 
Garnish

 
Preparation
 
1. PLACE the salad ingredients in a large nonreactive† bowl.

2. COMBINE the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a 2-cup or larger glass measuring cup; microwave until warm, 2-3 minutes. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. TOSS the dressing with the salad. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour before serving for the flavors to meld.
 
 
SUGAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN DISHES

You may have noted that Southeast Asian cuisines—Cambodian, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese—use sugar in savory dishes. For example:

Vietnamese pho (noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, and meat, often garnished with fresh herbs, bean sprouts), Thai pad thai (rice noodles, scrambled eggs, tofu or shrimp (or both), bean sprouts, and peanuts), or Malaysian char kway teow (flat rice noodles stir-fried with prawns, cockles [a type of clam], Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and Chinese chives).

This tradition is primarily to achieve flavor balance rather than to make sweetness the dominant taste. The culinary philosophy centers on harmonizing five fundamental flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (or spicy in some traditions).

Sugar acts as a balancing agent that rounds out sharp, acidic, or salty elements, e.g. fish sauce, soy or tamarind.

 
It should be noted that sugarcane originated in New Guinea and Southeast Asia, and was used for its sweetness by humans as long as 10,000 years ago. Before India first refined cane juice into crystallized sugar circa 350 C.E.**, many of these flavor principles developed using palm sugar, coconut sugar, or other less processed sweeteners.

The Western perception that it’s “a lot of sugar” often comes from cultural differences. Western palates may be more sensitive to sweetness in savory dishes.

In Western cooking, recipes might call for a pinch of sugar, for example to balance the tomato acidity in marinara sauce. But Southeast Asian cuisines apply this principle more extensively and systematically.

By the way, the first sugar cane planted in the new world was brought by Christopher Columbus to the Dominican Republic in 1493.
 
 
> The history of sugar cane.

> The history of sugar.

> The different types of sugar, a photo glossary.

> The history of cabbage.

> 30 delicious cabbage recipes.

> The year’s 9 cabbage holidays.

[1] Crunchy,tangy, and refreshing, with as much heat as you’d like, serve this recipe over the summer and beyond (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] If you can’t find Thai chiles (prik kee nu, also called bird’s eye chile, you can easily substitute serrano chiles. See the footnote‡ for more options.

[3] We added our own garnish of crunchy roasted peanuts. If you like heat, use spicy peanuts. Here’s a recipe if you want to make your own (photo © Frank’s Red Hot)..

[4] A recipe for chicken satay with peanut sauce (photo © The Big Man’s World).

[5] Sugarcane grows from 6 to 20 feet tall (photo courtesy Genetic Literacy Project).

[6] Daikon, the Japanese radish (photo © Good Eggs).

You can tell by looking at the stalks (photo #5) that sugarcane and bamboo are related. They are both members of the grass family, Poaceae, which includes other important plants such as corn, rice, and wheat (all of the cereals are grasses).

Sugarcane’s genus and species are Saccharum officinarum, while bamboo belongs to a subfamily, Bambusoideae, and comprises numerous genera and species. Saccharum has additional, wild, species, but the one cultivated for consumption is Saccharum officinarum.
 
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*While this may seem like a lot of sugar, the rest of the ingredients are so low in calories that a 3/4 cup is 99 calories. Coleslaw also contains some sugar, and a 3/4 cup serving of coleslaw made with mayonnaise typically contains between 200 and 280 calories.

**Granulated sugar, as a common household item, became prevalent in Europe during the 18th century. While sugar available earlier, it was a luxury item for the wealthy. The increased production from sugar plantations established in the Caribbean and Brazil, coupled with advancements in refining techniques, led to a significant price drop and wider availability. By the 1800s, it was becoming a staple on most tables.

†A nonreactive bowl is one made from materials that do not interact with food, particularly acidic ingredients like tomatoes, citrus fruits, vinegar, and wine. This prevents the food from developing a metallic taste.

Nonreactive materials include ceramic/enamel, glass, plastics [those sold for food preparation], and stainless steel. Always use these materials when preparing or serving citrus-based desserts, guacamole, salad dressings, and sauces with acidic ingredients.

Reactive materials to avoid include cast iron and aluminum.

††Slaw is a type of salad, typically made with shredded cabbage and a creamy or vinegar-based dressing. While all slaws are salads, not all salads are slaws. Salads can have a wide variety of ingredients, dressings, and toppings, while slaw generally indicates a salad with shredded cabbage as a primary component.

‡The heat component of chiles, capsaicin, is contained in the seeds and the ribs.

Medium: Serrano peppers: If you’re looking for a less heat, Serranos typically range from 10,000 to 25,000 SHU. The green chiles are milder than the ripe red ones.

Hot: Bird’s eye chilies, a type of Thai chile, typically measure between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville scale.

Hotter: Chiltepin peppers, while innocent-looking tiny rounds, can reach up to 100,000 SHU. Habaneros are significantly hotter, ranging from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU.