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Hong Kong

[hong kong]

Chinese Xianggang or Hsiang-kang

Special administrative region of China (pop., 2005 est.: 6,926,000). Located on China's southern coast, it consists of the island of Hong Kong and adjacent islets in the South China Sea (ceded by China to the British in 1842), the Kowloon Peninsula (ceded in 1860), and the New Territories (leased by the British from China from 1898 to 1997). The entire territory was returned to China in 1997. It covers 425 sq mi (1,102 sq km); the New Territories, lying north of the Kowloon Peninsula and constituting an enclave in China's Guangdong province, are more than nine-tenths of the total area. The administrative centre of Victoria on Hong Kong island's northwestern coast is also the centre of economic activities. Hong Kong has an excellent natural harbour and is one of the world's major trade and financial centres. It has many educational institutions, including the University of Hong Kong (1911).

Learn more about Hong Kong with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Bok l'hong

Bok l'hong (បុកល្ហុង; commonly romanized as bok lahong) is the Khmer version of a dish popularly known in English as papaya salad. The word l'hong means papaya in Khmer. The word bok refers to the ingredients being lightly beaten with a mortar and pestle.

Despite the use of papaya, which one may think of as sweet, this salad is actually savoury. When not yet ripe, papaya has a slightly tangy or sour flavor. The texture is crisp and firm, sometimes to the point of crunchiness. It is this that allows the fruit to withstand being beaten in the mortar.

There are many versions of this salad in Cambodia, but it will always include unripe papaya. Green papaya is also used as a vegetable in other Khmer dishes such as soups and stews. The papaya is prepared by shredding it into fine strips (julienned). Other ingredients that may be present include tomato, shredded green or long beans, peanuts, and smoked fish.

Herbs added to the salad either as ingredients or garnishes might include kantrop, lime leaves and basil.

The dressing may include fish sauce, shrimp paste (also known as kapi), dried shrimp, preserved crabs, and/or lime juice. The preserved crabs are small crabs fermented in a salty liquid. They are mashed in a mortar and pestle and added to the salad. It is usually seasoned with salt, sugar, and/or MSG.

Other vegetables that are commonly used in this dish are diced tomatoes and shredded carrots. The salad can be topped with crushed peanuts, chile peppers, and dried shrimp which are usually beaten with a mortar and pestle.