Bok l'hong

Bok l’hong, meaning pounded papaya in Khmer, is a Cambodian take on the green papaya salad that is widely consumed throughout Southeast Asia and is believed to have originated in Laos. Like the Lao and Thai versions, the Cambodian papaya salad usually requires the shredded fruit to be pounded with other ingredients, while the Vietnamese variety doesn't involve pounding of the fruit. The salad often contains tamarind, galangal, and prohok, a type of Cambodian fish paste. Bok l'hong can also feature smoked fish or salted crabs, and it is usually consumed with steamed rice and grilled meat such as chicken. One significant difference between the traditional Laotian green papaya salad and the Cambodian version of the salad lies in the use of white fish sauce in the latter instead of the much more pungent fermented fish sauce which is typically used in the former. Just like in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, in Cambodia, green papaya salad is available in numerous restaurants and is a common street food item.