Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)
Thailand's most iconic salad — shredded green papaya pounded in a mortar with tomatoes, green beans, garlic, chili, lime juice, and fish sauce. Crunchy, spicy, tangy, and refreshing all at once. Served cold with sticky rice and grilled chicken.
Ingredients
- 200 ggreen papaya, peeled and shredded
- 1 carrot
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tspred chili
- 2 tbsplime juice
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbsppalm sugar
- 2 tbsproasted peanuts
- 50 ggreen beans
- 1 tbspdried shrimp
Method
- Peel the papaya and carrot, grate into long thin shreds. Halve the cherry tomatoes, cut green beans into 2-3 cm pieces. Ordinary green beans must not be eaten raw: drop them into plenty of boiling water and boil until tender all the way through, with no raw squeak when you bite one, then cool them in cold water and drain. Thai vendors use raw yard-long beans; with regular green beans this boiling step is not optional.
- In a mortar, pound the garlic and chili. Add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and mix until sugar dissolves.
- Add papaya, carrot, green beans, and tomatoes to the mortar. Lightly pound with a spoon or pestle — the vegetables should soften slightly and absorb the dressing but keep their crunch. Add dried shrimp if using.
- Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with roasted peanuts, garnish with a lime wedge and fresh chili. Serve cold.
FAQ
Green papaya is available in Asian grocery stores. If unavailable, substitute with green radish or firm cucumber grated into long thin shreds — the texture is very similar.
Use soy sauce with a pinch of seaweed flakes instead of fish sauce. Simply omit the dried shrimp or replace with toasted sesame seeds.
The mortar is not for grinding — just a few firm presses to lightly bruise the vegetables so they absorb the dressing while keeping their crunch.
In Thailand, som tam is made very spicy — 3 to 5 chilies. For a mild version, use just one or none at all. Add chili gradually and taste as you go.
Classically served with sticky rice and grilled chicken. Also pairs beautifully with grilled seafood or as a light standalone lunch.
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Comments (1)
I make the dressing for som tam first and let it sit while I prep everything else. The green papaya and seasonings need at least 10 minutes to meld. Last-second dressing always tastes a bit harsh and disjointed.