Difference Between ครก โกร่ง (Mortars)

[Caipirinha]

My girlfriend is finally making the move here to Sweden and I wanted her to buy me a mortar (grinding bowl, not a grenade launcher)

Anyway over the phone I asked her if she could by me a โกร่ง (groong) for making som-tam and she immediately corrected me by saying ครก (krok).

It's been stuck on my mind what the actual difference is. I've tried looking it up in a thai english dictionary but it just gives me the same translation for both.

It's annoying me. Does anyone here know what separates them?

[eric67]

They're both mortars, but a โกร่ง is used in a pharmacy or apothecary to pulverize medicines and has a smooth surface (usually porcelain), while a ครก is used to make somtam, nam prik, etc. and has a rough surface (stone)

[Caipirinha]

Ah ok.

Never occurred to me that the inner texture might be the big difference. Was thinking it was more along the lines of size or something like that.

Thanks alot