Samlar machu is a Khmer term for a category of sour soups.
The sour flavour of the soup comes from the use of tamarind (អម្ពិល), however variations also include other tangy fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes (ប៉េងប៉ោះ), pineapples (ម្នាស់), Water spinach, celery, as well as Tiliacora triandra leaves (ស្លឹកវល្លិយាវ). There are many types of Khmer sour soups such as:
- Samlar machu yuon (សម្លរម្ជូរយួន) with lobster, fish or chicken, pineapple, dried fish and tomatoes;
- Samlar machu srae (សម្លម្ជូរស្រែ) with fresh and dried fish, crab and green papaya;
- Samlar machu kroeung (សម្លរម្ជូរគ្រឿង) with beef or pork, yellow kroeung, Ipomoea aquatica, eggplants and dried jamalac.
- Samlar machu ktis (សម្លរម្ជូរខ្ទិះ) with pork, pineapple and coconut milk.