Som Tum (Thai Green Papaya Salad)

Thailand's Most Addictive Salad

Som tum is one of those dishes that hits every single flavour note -- sour, sweet, salty, spicy -- all at once. I fell in love with it at a street stall in Chiang Mai where a woman made it to order in a giant mortar, adjusting the heat level just by looking at me and deciding how much I could handle. I've been making my own version ever since.

The Mortar and Pestle Method

Traditional som tum is pounded, not mixed. You need a large mortar and pestle (a clay one is ideal). Start by pounding garlic and Thai bird's eye chillies together into a rough paste. Add long beans cut into 3cm pieces and lightly bruise them. Add cherry tomatoes and gently crush just to release their juices.

The Dressing

To the mortar, add palm sugar, fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian), and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. Pound and mix to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust -- it should be a harmonious balance of all four flavours. In Thailand, they adjust this for every single customer.

The Papaya

Peel a green (unripe) papaya and shred it into thin strips using a sharp knife or julienne peeler. Add the shredded papaya to the mortar and toss everything together, bruising the papaya slightly so it absorbs the dressing. Add a small handful of roasted peanuts and dried shrimp if you're going traditional.

Serving

Pile onto a plate and serve immediately with sticky rice and raw vegetables -- cabbage wedges, long beans, and Thai basil. It's meant to be eaten right away while everything is bright and crunchy.

Tina's Tips

• Use a mortar and pestle -- a food processor can't replicate the texture of hand-pounded som tum
• Start with fewer chillies and add more; Thai bird's eye chillies are seriously hot
• Balance all four flavours -- sour, sweet, salty, spicy -- and taste as you go
• Use green, unripe papaya only -- ripe papaya is too soft and sweet for this dish