I believe there is no bad som tum. Som tum is a green papaya salad with deep funk from fish sauce and dried shrimp, eye-watering heat from Thai bird’s eye chilies, and all kinds of crunch from the green beans, papaya, and peanuts. I dig the extra funk in som tom pbooh, the version with salted crab. I love the extra hit of acid from the variations that include tamarind. Just typing this means that there’s a good chance that I’ll be having some version of som tum for my next three to five meals.
Historians debate whether som tum is originally from Thailand or neighboring Laos, where it is known as tam maak hung. It is prepared in mostly the same way, with many of the same ingredients. The variety of som tum I eat regularly is most popular in Issan, located in the northeastern region of Thailand. The main difference is that the Thai version uses fish sauce, while the Laotian version uses a local fermented fish paste instead. This gives the Laos papaya salad a funkier, more aggressive flavor. Other versions of green papaya salad are also eaten throughout Cambodia and Vietnam.
Here’s how I like to make som tum on repeat, so I can eat it forever until I die (can you tell I like it?).
Get Shredded!
The key to any good salad is the freshness of the produce. While you can find pre-shredded green papaya in some grocery stores, I recommend getting a whole one and shredding it yourself for maximum freshness. The Kom Kom Miracle Knife is my favorite tool for the job. You use it just like a vegetable peeler and it transforms the crunchy papaya into thin ribbons in no time. If, like Alton Brown, you are against unitaskers, use a knife to cut thin slits into the papaya, then shave those slits off into threads. This process takes longer, but you’ll still get there.
Ingredients Assemble!
Soak your dried shrimp in warm tap water for at least 15 minutes, so it’s tender, bendy, and ready to be pounded into a paste.
Toast your peanuts for maximum crunch and flavor.
Have your blanched green beans, quartered limes, peeled garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, and cherry tomatoes at attention.
*I measure everything to taste, but if you’re a first-timer and need a guide for the amounts, check out this recipe by Phasinee Doddeo. Everyone has their own preferred methods and ratios, so play around and find your own. You can have all of the above (and your shredded papaya) prepped and on stand-by for up to 3 days in advance to som tum when you’re ready. But once pounded and dressed, the salad is best eaten right away.
Go to Pound Town!
You’ll need a big wooden or clay mortar and pestle (or a sturdy, narrow bowl and rolling pin). A stone mortar and pestle will be too intense as we want to gently bruise the vegetables, not smush them to death. The motion of processing the salad in the mortar and pestle is very important (and unique from the usual crush, smash, smush): Use a large spoon or spatula, along with the pestle, to constantly sweep the ingredients towards you, keeping everything in the middle of the mortar. This ensures that all the ingredients are pounded evenly and consistently.
I start with a heavy smash, pounding together the garlic, dried shrimp, and Thai bird chili into almost a paste. It’s all gentle smashing from here. I add the palm sugar, fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and pound again, taking care to not overly smash as I just want the tomatoes to burst. Then I add all my green papaya and lime juice and pound until the papaya is evenly bruised and starts soaking up the dressing. I finish by tossing in the roasted peanuts and I’m good to go!
This is one of my favorite things to eat when I’m craving a light but hearty salad. It's most satisfying when it’s hot and humid, but nothing will stop me from brushing off my mortar and pestle on a snow-covered January day when that som tum craving strikes.
See ya!
sohla