Dish · thai
Som Tam
Shredded unripe papaya pounded in a mortar with chili, lime juice, fish sauce, and tamarind, tossed with peanuts and sometimes dried shrimp, sour and hot in the same bite.
Where it comes from
The dish is tied to Thailand's Isan region and Laos, where pounding in a clay mortar is central to the method, distinct from tossed or blended salads made elsewhere.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over pounding versus tossing: true som tam is bruised in a mortar so the dressing works into the papaya, while shaking it in a bowl leaves the flavor on the surface.
Versions
Nobody has published a som tam here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
papaya
peanuts