Sweet, Salty, Sour and Spicy

Bok Lahong is the Cambodian name for the popular Southeast Asian green papaya salad. It can be eaten on its own but is usually an accompaniment to grilled fish or meat.

It combines all four flavours - sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

I saw this lady tonight as I was walking through one of the laneways of the pagoda village next door to where I live. We exchanged the informal local greeting of sue saday. I stopped to chat and ask if I could take a photo.

She is preparing for her trade tomorrow which she will take to the streets on her mobile food cart. In with the long strands of unripened green papaya she has added threads of raw carrots. Into a mortar she will place pods of fresh red chillies, garlic, salt, palm sugar and fish sauce; also some shrimp paste. She'll pound the mixture with a pestle along with the juice of fresh limes. Then tomorrow while a customer waits, in each individual serving of the mix of papaya and carrots, she will add chopped tomatoes, long green beans and crushed peanuts and pour over the spice blend and toss it all together.

Papaya a fruit native to Central America is now grown throughout the world in tropical climates. The Mayans used to think it was sacred due to its many healing properties.