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?

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)

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