Som Tam - famous Thai Food

Som Tam , otherwise known as Papaya Salad. The meal is quite simple to make. The main ingredients are shredded green papaya, chopped green beans, tomoato, dried prawns, unsalted roasted peanuts, chillies, garlic and lime juice.

These are all pounded together in a mortar using a pestle. The sound it makes is "pok pok". Whenever I hear that sound while walking down the street I always turnaround to look for the som tam stall.



The papaya salad is best served with sticky rice (khao neow) and grilled chicken. But you can have fish instead. There is also a recipe which has crab.

When you come to buy Papaya Salad, it is nearly always prepared in front of you. Salad with sticky rice from a roadside stall will cost you about 40 baht.



Som Tam can be very spicy!