Green Papaya Salad | Som Tum Thai | ส้มตำไทย

The green papaya salad known as Som Tum Thai is immensely popular, not only in Thailand, but all around the world. Made with crunchy shreds of green papaya, long beans, tomatoes, and roasted peanuts pounded together with a nicely balanced spicy, sweet, and sour dressing, it's no wonder this salad is so popular.

Som Tum is definitely one of my all-time favorite Thai salads, and I know I'm not the only one. This delicious salad is sold on almost every street corner in Thailand, and in almost every western Thai restaurant. It's loved as much by foreigners as it is by Thais.

I've had the good fortune of watching my Thai mother-in-law make this salad every time she comes to visit us. And with each rendition she makes, I learn a little more about what it takes to make an outstanding Som Tum. So without further ado, here are all of the details, tips, and tricks I've learned along the way.

Jump to:

• What is Som Tum Thai?
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Key Tips
• Recipe

What is Som Tum Thai?

Som Tum (or Som Tam) refers to a specific group of Thai salads. In Thai, Som means sour and Tum/Tam refers to the method by which the salad is made, i.e. pounding the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. There are hundreds of different versions of Som Tum, and they can differ vastly in terms of the ingredients used and the resulting flavors.

Som Tum Thai specifically refers to the Som Tum presented here that is made with shredded green papaya as the main ingredient. The crunchy shreds of unripe fruit are pounded together with garlic, Thai chilis, long beans, tomatoes, dried shrimp, and roasted peanuts. All of these ingredients are then combined with a salty, sour, and sweet dressing made with fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. This style of Som Tum is popular in central Thailand and features a nice balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.

Equipment

To make Som Tum Thai, you'll need something to shred your green papaya, as well as a clay mortar and pestle to pound all of the ingredients together.

1. Green Papaya Shredder: There are three different ways that you can shred a green papaya. If you have a mandoline in your kitchen, you can set the blade to julienne slices of approximately 1/16 to ⅛ inch thickness. Alternatively, you could use this Kiwi brand julienne shredder specifically designed for shredding green papaya. And last, but certainly not least, you can use a Chef's knife to shred green papaya the traditional Thai way. This method involves making quick parallel cuts on the face of the papaya, then turning it sideways and slicing off one layer at a time. For more details about each of these methods, see this article all about Green Papaya.
2. Clay Mortar and Pestle: A large clay mortar with a wooden pestle is traditionally used to make Som Tum. This type of mortar and pestle helps to bruise the ingredients so that the flavors meld together without crushing them so much that their texture changes. The heavy stone mortar and pestle that is used for pounding spices for Thai curry pastes should NOT be used for making Som Tum.

Ingredients

• Garlic: A small clove of garlic adds a whole lot of aromatic flavor to Som Tum. It is usually pounded first, with or without the Thai chilis, to break it up into small pieces.
• Thai Chili Peppers: The spice level of your salad will depend upon how many Thai chilis you use, as well as how much you pound them. For a medium spice, I use one red Thai chili and pound it until it's broken down into 4 or 5 pieces.
• Long Beans: Long beans are also known as Chinese long beans, yardlong beans, or snake beans. If you're not able to find them, green beans can be substituted.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are cut in half and pounded together with the long beans. They should be pounded enough that they release some juice, but you don't want them to be totally broken down.
• Green Papaya: Shredded green papaya forms the base of this salad. For more information all about Green Papaya, how to shred it, how to store it, and good substitutes, see this article.
• Lime: Lime juice adds the requisite sourness. Freshly squeezed lime is best.
• Palm Sugar: Palm sugar adds sweetness. If you are starting with a hardened block of palm sugar, you can shave it finely or microwave it to make it easier to work with.
• Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is used for the salty umami flavor.
• Dried Shrimp: Small dried shrimp are a traditional ingredient in this Som Tum in Thailand. See my tips below for my suggestions about how to incorporate it.
• Roasted Peanuts: Raw peanuts can be dry roasted in a pan, and the skin removed once they're cool. See this article for more about how to prepare roasted peanuts.

Instructions

Once all of your ingredients are prepared and ready to go, making Som Tum is actually quite quick and easy. Just follow these six steps:

Serving Suggestions

Som Tum is traditionally served as part of a set meal with Thai grilled chicken (Gai Yang) and Sticky Rice (Khao Neow). The bold flavors of the crunchy papaya salad go so well with bites of tender roast chicken and chewy sticky rice. That said, Som Tum would also go nicely with Grilled Pork Skewers, Pork Ribs, or any number of other Thai meats. It would also make a great light lunch on its own.

Storage

Green papaya salad is best enjoyed when it's freshly made. I'd suggest preparing all of the ingredients, then pounding them together right before you plan on serving the salad. This is how the salad is served on the streets of Thailand - made to order for each customer.

However, Som Tum can also be saved in the refrigerator for a few days. If you plan on making it and serving it later, I'd recommend adding the peanuts right before you're planning to serve so they don't get soggy. Please note the green papaya that's been bathed in the dressing will become less crunchy over time.

Key Tips

After watching my Thai mother-in-law make numerous renditions of Green Papaya Salad, I've come away with some tips for how she always makes it so delicious:

1. Soak the Green Papaya: Once the green papaya has been shredded, you can place it in a cold water bath. The cold water will revive the papaya and make it nice and crunchy. Just be sure to drain it very well afterwards. You don't want any extra water to dilute the flavors of your salad.
2. Don't be Shy with the Dressing: Some of my first attempts at Som Tum were less than stellar because I wasn't adding enough flavor. Without enough lime juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce, your salad won't be as vibrant as it should be.
3. Mix the Lime Juice with the Palm Sugar: Most Som Tum recipes say to add the palm sugar and lime juice separately. My mother-in-law mixes the two together, making a sweet lime syrup to add to her salads. This helps the palm sugar dissolve easily, but also makes it easier to adjust the flavors in the salad.
4. Shred the Dried Shrimp: Because I don't love biting into whole dried shrimp, I would often leave them out of my previous versions of Som Tum. My mother-in-law introduced me to shredding the dried shrimp so that you don't have to bite into them, but you still get that salty umami flavor.

And finally, but most importantly, my mother-in-law always stresses the importance of adjusting the flavors to your own preference. Thai food is endlessly customizable, especially Som Tum Thai. If you prefer less spice, add fewer Thai chilis. If you prefer a more sour salad, add more lime juice. You can make the salad as the recipe details, taste, and then adjust according to your own preferences.

Recipe