Cambodia Claims Guinness World Record for Sticky Rice Cake

SIEM REAP CITY – A Guinness World Records judge kicked this year’s Angkor Sankranta festival into action Monday by officially declaring a 4-ton sticky rice cake produced for the Khmer New Year celebration to be the largest ever made.

At a special ceremony held in front of Angkor Thom’s Terrace of the Elephants the evening before the festival’s official opening today, Seyda Subasi Gemici, a Guinness World Records judge from Germany, said the cake met Guinness’ stringent requirements.

A 4-ton traditional sticky rice cake is paraded through Siem Reap City on Monday, ahead of the Angkor Sankranta festival, which begins Tuesday. (Lina Goldberg)
A 4-ton traditional sticky rice cake is paraded through Siem Reap City on Monday, ahead of the Angkor Sankranta festival, which begins Tuesday. (Lina Goldberg)

“In order to qualify for this record attempt, the international guidelines of Guinness World Records have to be followed,” Ms. Gemici told the crowd from the stage, in front of which the giant “num ansorm” traditional cake had been placed.

“The guidelines say that the cake has to have a minimum weight of 3,250 kg, and the cake must contain at least sticky rice, mung beans, coconuts, and banana leaves in strips that wrap around the cake,” she explained.

Weighing in at 4 tons, and made with ingredients including 1 ton of glutinous rice, 500 kg of coconut milk, 15 kg of salt, 500 kg of mung beans, 500 kg of pork belly and 333 kg of banana leaves, the cake met the qualifications.

“One moment please,” Ms. Gemici said, opening an envelope before announcing the result. “I have the great pleasure to announce a new Guinness World Record achievement for the largest sticky rice cake—num ansorm—4,040 kg.”

“Congratulations, you are all ‘officially amazing,’” she added, using Guinness World Records’ motto.

Hun Many, a CPP lawmaker who leads the ruling party youth wing that organizes the annual Angkor Sankranta festival, said the accomplishment would earn Cambodia international respect.

“I am proud to be a child of Cambodia, and today we have achieved a giant sticky rice cake, and the world will acknowledge [that fact] from now on,” Mr. Many, a son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, told the audience.

“Our hard work comes from having a singular spirit and a single target to make a giant sticky rice cake to make the people and the international stage know what Cambodia is today and what can come from our unity,” he added.

Mr. Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy will open the festival today, with attendees scheduled to devour the 4-ton cake in an eating contest Tuesday morning.

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