{"id":16559,"date":"2012-06-06T12:18:08","date_gmt":"2012-06-06T16:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/?p=16559"},"modified":"2013-11-04T13:16:51","modified_gmt":"2013-11-04T18:16:51","slug":"papaya-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/papaya-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Papaya Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Winner! Spicy Papaya Salad garnished with the “illegal straw vegetable” \ud83d\ude42 \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p><\/div>\n

Spicy papaya salad (Thum Mak Houng in Lao or Som Thum in Thai) is one of the national dishes of Laos. \u00a0In my many years of eating the wonderful dish, I’ve found that there really is an art to making it. \u00a0I also like how this little dish can be like a cultural ambassador, bringing about discussions on food and where we came from. \u00a0I agree with the travel channel greats, when you share food, you share culture and experiences. \u00a0There are some non Lao friends of mine in that past that don’t like it due to the spiciness or fishy smell, but those that do develop an affinity for Thum Mak Houng, they also get that watering in the mouth just from the sight and smell of it. Combined with sticky rice and chicken wings or grilled steak, it is a perfect outdoor summertime food. \u00a0Our diet ranges from hamburgers to hot dogs to sushi to Lao food and every Asian cuisine off Buford Hwy, but when I see “Americans” in the random restaurants that I frequent, it makes me feel pretty good that there are adventurous people willing to go of out their culinary comfort zone. \u00a0Asians can often times get accused of eating bizarre stuff, and that might unfairly color other people’s opinions of us. \u00a0Share food, share culture, play frisbee, live a good life.<\/p>\n

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My award for Best Presentation: \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photos from our first Annual Papaya Salad (Thum Mak Houng) Contest!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[286,41],"class_list":{"0":"post-16559","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-lao-culture","8":"category-photos","9":"tag-lao-culture","10":"tag-laotian-culture","12":"post-with-thumbnail","13":"post-with-thumbnail-large"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/04h.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pelE0-4j5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20186,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/5th-international-lao-new-year-festival-lao-concert-recap\/","url_meta":{"origin":16559,"position":0},"title":"5th International Lao New Year Festival : Lao Concert Recap – 2013","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"May 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"5th International Lao New Year Festival Haeng Jai Sinlapin Lao Concert May 4, 2013 | Richmond Auditorium | Richmond, CA www.laonewyear.com","rel":"","context":"In "Lao Thai Khmer New Year"","block_context":{"text":"Lao Thai Khmer New Year","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/lao-thai-khmer-new-year\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/w_b-vong.com_inly5_01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/w_b-vong.com_inly5_01.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/w_b-vong.com_inly5_01.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3636,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/2nd-international-lao-new-year-performers\/","url_meta":{"origin":16559,"position":1},"title":"2nd International Lao New Year 2010 – Performers","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"April 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"2nd International Lao New Year | San Francisco Here are some photos of this year's performers at the Lao New Year in San Fran.\u00a0 Photos by me, if anyone uses them, please credit me or my site pretty please.\u00a0 Captions and of course thoughts by me as well, please note\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lao Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Lao Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/lao-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ilny_acts_001_b-vong.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/ilny_acts_001_b-vong.com_.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":294,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/pho-lanxang-forest-park-ga\/","url_meta":{"origin":16559,"position":2},"title":"Pho Lanxang – Forest Park, GA","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"June 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"STATUS: CLOSED :( 4571 Jonesboro Rd Forest Park, GA 30297 Closed on Mondays, but open from 11am-8pm every other day Where can you get authentic Lao food in Atlanta?\u00a0 Pho Lanxang off Jonesboro Rd near the airport is a great spot.\u00a0 In picking spots to eat at, I always ask\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Clayton County"","block_context":{"text":"Clayton County","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/clayton\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bvong_yum_01_pho_lanxang.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bvong_yum_01_pho_lanxang.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bvong_yum_01_pho_lanxang.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bvong_yum_01_pho_lanxang.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85641,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/two-fish-myanmar-cuisine-clarkston-ga\/","url_meta":{"origin":16559,"position":3},"title":"Two Fish Myanmar Cuisine – Clarkston, GA","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"August 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Two Fish(In Clarkston Market)980 Rowland St Suite 4130Clarkston, GA 30021 Open Every day except Sundays | 404-980-1643 We tried the Burmese restaurant, Two Fish Myanmar Cuisine, in Clarkston for dinner.\u00a0 Clarkston, GA is one of the most diverse small towns in all of America, being the starting point for many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Asian Food"","block_context":{"text":"Asian Food","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/asian-food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2-Fish-Myanmar-Cuisine-2024-07-31-001_b-vong.com_Boon-Vong.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2-Fish-Myanmar-Cuisine-2024-07-31-001_b-vong.com_Boon-Vong.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2-Fish-Myanmar-Cuisine-2024-07-31-001_b-vong.com_Boon-Vong.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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"Photos"","block_context":{"text":"Photos","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/photos\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/w_b-vong.com_pix_fall_14_01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/w_b-vong.com_pix_fall_14_01.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/w_b-vong.com_pix_fall_14_01.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/w_b-vong.com_pix_fall_14_01.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40917,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/hmong-women-resource-alliance-volleyball-fundraiser\/","url_meta":{"origin":16559,"position":5},"title":"Hmong Women Resource Alliance – Volleyball Fundraiser – 3-07-2020","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"March 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"March 7. 2020\u00a0 |\u00a0 Monroe, GA It sure was brisk this morning for the volleyball tournament, but glad I got up early and made it out to Monroe.\u00a0 Everyone was competitive and the spikes were serious.\u00a0 Hopefully this is the last cold day for \"winter\" in Georgia, as the spring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photos"","block_context":{"text":"Photos","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/photos\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HWRA_03-07-20_031_b-vong.com_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HWRA_03-07-20_031_b-vong.com_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HWRA_03-07-20_031_b-vong.com_.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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