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Som Tum Thai, also known as Thai Papaya Salad, is a vibrant and zesty dish that perfectly captures the balance of flavours that Thai cuisine is known for.
Combining the sweetness of ripe tomatoes, the heat of fresh chili, and the tang of lime juice, it’s a dish that excites the palate.
Originally from north eastern Thailand, Som Tum Thai has become a staple across the country and beyond, celebrated for its refreshing taste and bold flavours.
What Is Som Tum Thai?
Som Tum Thai is a traditional salad made from shredded green papaya, mixed with a combination of garlic, chilies, lime juice, fish sauce, and a touch of palm sugar.
The result is a flavour explosion; spicy, sour, salty, and just a little sweet, all harmonized in one dish.
It’s usually prepared fresh by pounding the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle, which allows the flavours to fully infuse the crunchy papaya.
This salad is often served with sticky rice and grilled meats, but it can also be enjoyed on its own as a light, refreshing meal. The combination of textures, from the crisp papaya to the juicy tomatoes and crunchy peanuts, makes every bite interesting.
Som Tum Thai is as much about the sensory experience as it is about the taste, offering a bright, tangy contrast to the more robust and hearty dishes that often accompany it.
Ingredients and Taste
The key ingredient in Som Tum Thai is, of course, green papaya. Unlike ripe papaya, which is sweet and soft, green papaya has a crisp, neutral flavour that serves as the perfect canvas for the bold dressing. Fresh chilies provide heat, while garlic adds depth.
Fish sauce delivers the salty, umami punch that’s essential to Thai cuisine, and lime juice brings a sharp, tangy freshness. Palm sugar rounds out the dressing with a hint of sweetness, creating a beautifully balanced flavour profile.
Other ingredients often include cherry tomatoes, which burst with sweetness, and long beans, adding a slightly bitter crunch. Peanuts are usually scattered over the top, lending a roasted nuttiness that contrasts the tangy and spicy elements of the dish.
The salad is vibrant and refreshing, but also deeply satisfying, with the perfect balance of flavours that Thai food is so famous for, each ingredient playing off the others in a way that keeps you coming back for more.
A Taste of History
Som Tum Thai has its roots in north eastern Thailand, in a region known as Isaan, but its origins stretch even further. It’s believed that the dish may have been influenced by neighbouring Laos, where a similar green papaya salad, called tam mak hoong, is also a beloved staple.
Over time, Som Tum became popular across Thailand, with each region adding its own variations and flair.
The dish originally featured local ingredients from Isaan, where fresh, seasonal produce and pungent flavours reign supreme.
As it spread throughout Thailand, fish sauce replaced the fermented fish often used in Isaan’s traditional version, making Som Tum Thai more palatable to a wider audience.
Despite these adaptations, the essence of Som Tum Thai remains the same, an invigorating dish that brings together simple ingredients in a complex harmony of flavours.
Som Tum Thai (Thai Papaya Salad) Recipe
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded green papaya (about 1 medium papaya)
- 1 small carrot, julienned
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 long green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 Thai bird’s eye chilies (adjust for spice level)
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp tamarind juice
- 1 tbsp small dried prawns (optional)
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
To begin, prepare the green papaya by peeling the skin, then using a shredding tool or knife to finely shred the papaya into thin strips. Place the shredded papaya and julienned carrot into a large bowl. This provides the crunchy base of the salad.
In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic and Thai bird’s eye chilies. Pound them gently until they break down into a rough paste. This releases the intense aroma of the garlic and the heat from the chilies.
Add the dried shrimp and a small portion of the crushed peanuts to the mortar. Lightly pound again to combine and bring out their rich flavours. This adds texture and umami to the dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind juice, and palm sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. This forms the dressing, balancing salty, sour, and sweet flavours typical of Thai cuisine.
Add the green beans to the mortar, giving them a quick pound to lightly bruise them. This step softens the beans, making them more receptive to the dressing while maintaining their crunch.
Now, transfer the contents of the mortar (garlic, chilies, shrimp, peanuts, and green beans) into the bowl with the shredded papaya and carrot. Add the halved cherry tomatoes as well. Gently toss the ingredients together with your hands or a spoon to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
Pour the prepared dressing over the salad. Toss again, making sure the dressing coats every strand of papaya and carrot. Adjust seasoning if necessary by adding more lime juice for sourness or fish sauce for saltiness.
To serve, plate the Som Tum Thai in individual portions or a large bowl. Garnish with the remaining crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro. Som Tum is typically enjoyed as part of a larger meal with sticky rice or grilled meats, adding a refreshing contrast to richer dishes. Enjoy this vibrant and refreshing salad that perfectly balances salty, sour, sweet, and spicy notes.
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