Thai Food- Papaya/Mango Salad
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Yummy Yummy Som Tum Salad
Papaya salad is a fresh and light salad that is a staple food for most Thais. This salad dish originated from Northern Thailand but is now eaten and enjoyed everywhere. The som tam (papaya salad in Thai) can be flavored the way you like - spicy, sweet or sour and can be found almost anywhere in Thailand.
This green papaya salad is light, cooling, full of natural herbs and spices and is really nutritious. Papaya salad is also a great dish to eat if you are watching your weight.
You can find som tam (papaya salad) in all Thai restaurants and thousands of street vendors making this dish fresh infront of you in their carts. I reckon that som tum is the most eaten food here in Thailand.
Many restaurants substitute the papaya with mango. It also does taste great and useful when you can't get hold of papaya. However, I do personally prefer having this salad with papaya.
Som Tum Tasting Poll

This is what a green papaya looks like.
Som Tum Cooking Essentials
Ingredients for this super awesome salad

Ingredients to serve 4 people:
1 medium sized green papaya
4 small plum tomatoes
1 carrot
3 strands of green beans
10ml tamarind juice
25ml lime juice
2 cloves garlic
50gm prik kee noo (red chili peppers)
10gm brown sugar
25ml nam pla (fish sauce)
25gm dried shrimps
50gm unsalted roasted peanuts
Preparing your salad

Peel the papaya and shred the green flesh (if you don't have a suitable implement for the purpose a coarse cheese grater may work).
Also peel and shred the carrot.
Chop the green beans into 1 inch pieces.
Put the shredded papaya and carrot in the fridge for a few minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
Soften the dried shrimp in a few mls of boiling water.
Pound the garlic and the red chili peppers together in a pestle and mortar.
Separately pound the peanuts together with the shrimp, but only until coarsely broken up, not reduced to dust or paste.
Mix the tamarind, juice, lime juice, fish sauce and the sugar.
Chop the tomatoes into quarters.
Now mix the shredded papaya, carrot with all the other ingredients and gently pound them together.
Mix all the ingredients together and serve in a bowl. Most restaurants would drain off some of the excess juice before serving, but I usually keep it.
Note: You should reduce the amount of red chili peppers used if you do not like it spicy.

Have a Bite!
What to eat with your salad
Generally the som tum salad is eaten with sticky rice and grilled chicken. Thai's also have this with grilled or fried pork and green beans.
How do you like it?
Green Papaya vs Raw Mango
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI prefer Green Papaya
veryirie says:
I love ripened papaya (we have several trees in our backyard), but I've never picked them green to eat. Now that I've read your recipe, I'll give it a go. It sounds fantastic!
Posted February 15, 2012
Andre says:
I use carrots as the base as green papaya is not always availible in South Africa
Posted January 27, 2009
nickupton says:
Papaya with dried shrimp and peanuts, not too keen on the version with raw crab in it though. Sometimes it is prepared with raw carrot in place of the papaya.
Posted December 02, 2008
says:
I like green papayas! Actually, I've tasted a similar papaya salad called "Atchara".
Posted October 12, 2008
Mango for me
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related info
Healthy Som Tum Salad Buzz
- Food Allergies Much Less Prevalent Than Claims Of Food Allergies, According To ...
- In some David Chang-loving circles, you're expected to rail against the tyranny of "peanut-free schools" and to roll eyes at fellow diners who are overheard asking waiters at Thai restaurants whether their som tum contains fish sauce three times in a ...
- Review: Cafe de Siam Paddington
- In the mix 'n' match theme that dominates the flexible menu, the som tum salad comes with a choice of meats and seafoods. The green papaya is more bitter than desirable on this occasion, and the sweet-sour collision in the dressing never seems to reach ...
- Here comes the Sun and it's Red
- Also good is the spicy som tum (Bt120) though lotus stems are used instead of green papaya to provide a crisp texture, and blended with hot chilli, dried shrimp and freshwater crab. My favourite is the comfort dish of sauteed cabbage in fish sauce ...
Like Pappaya Salad? leave your comments here...
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veryirie
Feb 15, 2012 @ 3:08 pm | delete
- Can't wait to try it. :)
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Einar_A
Feb 1, 2012 @ 10:31 pm | delete
- This sounds very good!
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WorldVisionary
Jun 8, 2011 @ 9:35 am | delete
- Just about anything with papaya or mango is a go for me! Thumbs up.
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ChineseKitesforKids
May 11, 2011 @ 9:16 am | delete
- Yum Yum Som Tum!! Looks fabulous!! You have some great color schemes in this lens too, I don't know if you did that on purpose but its very visually appealing.
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raphaelo
Mar 28, 2011 @ 9:03 am | delete
- I love som tum .. Rajays :) It's so delicious!! You're a great Thai people who have been showing everyone from world wide to know one of most popular Thai food here. 5 stars for you. Have a wonderful time ;)
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by Rajays
Som Tum has got to be one of the favourite food for the Thai's. Its simply great. Try it at home.
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