About the dish
Som tam is a salad of unripe, firm papaya cut into thin strips and lightly pounded in a clay mortar with garlic, chilli, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Cherry tomatoes, yardlong beans, dried shrimp and peanuts are added, so it is hot, sour, salty and sweet all at once. It belongs to the cooking of Laos and Isan but is now eaten all over Thailand, usually with sticky rice and grilled chicken. Versions with salted crab or fermented fish are funkier and fierier.
Main ingredients
- green papaya
- chilli
- garlic
- lime
- fish sauce
- cherry tomatoes
- yardlong beans
- dried shrimp
Laos: In Laos: ຕຳໝາກຫຸ່ງ (tam mak hung), usually hotter and seasoned with padaek fermented fish sauce.
More: Wikipedia (en)
