Rezept

Som Tam: the recipe for green papaya salad

Som Tam is the spiciest export from Isaan: pounded green papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, and a dressing that is sour, sweet, and salty all at once.

3 Min. Lesezeit

Som Tam: das Rezept für den grünen Papayasalat

Som Tam comes from Isaan, the rural northeast of Thailand, and from there it has spread throughout the entire country. Green, unripe papaya is grated and lightly pounded in a clay mortar—not crushed, but bruised, so that it absorbs the dressing well later on.

The result is a salad that hits all four flavor profiles simultaneously: sour from the tamarind, sweet from the palm sugar, and salty from the fish sauce. In Thai, the finished dressing is called ซอสส้มตำ, or Som Tam sauce. In the classic recipe, heat is added via fresh chili, not through the sauce itself.

Aside from the sauce, this recipe only requires vegetables and a few peanuts. It works just as well with carrots or cucumber if you don't have green papaya.

What is important here is less the exact ingredient than the technique: bruised rather than sliced, so that the surface of the strips tears slightly and the dressing can penetrate. In Thailand, this is done in a clay mortar with a wooden pestle; at home, a heavy wooden spoon works just as well.

  • 4servings
  • 20 min.prep time
  • 0/5on the THAANI scale

Shopping list

What else you need

  • 70 ml THAANI Som Tam Dressing (approx. 5 tbsp)
  • 400 g green papaya, peeled and in fine strips, or alternatively carrots or cucumber
  • 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 fresh red chilies, crushed as desired
  • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbsp dried shrimp, optional

Green beans are also included in the classic version, briefly pounded for extra crunch. If you have them on hand, cut 50 g into short pieces and add them to the mortar along with the papaya.

Preparation

  1. Prepare the papaya. Peel the green papaya, remove the seeds, and grate or cut into fine strips. Alternative: Prepare the same amount of carrots or cucumber.
  2. Pound. Lightly bruise the papaya, tomatoes, and chilies in a mortar or with a heavy wooden spoon until the strips soften slightly and release their juices.
  3. Add the dressing. Drizzle the THAANI Som Tam Dressing over the top and mix well until every strip is coated.
  4. Add peanuts and shrimp. Stir in the peanuts and dried shrimp, and let sit briefly.
  5. Serve. Serve immediately while the papaya still has crunch and before it becomes watery.
Som Tam tastes best within the first fifteen minutes; after that, the papaya becomes soft.

Variations and tips

  • No green papaya available? Carrots or cucumber work just as well as a base and require no adjustments to the dressing.
  • If you like it spicier, add the chili directly to the dressing instead of just on top; this distributes the heat more evenly.
  • Classic with dried shrimp, but just as good without them for a vegan version.
  • Also works well as a fresh side dish for grilled meat or fish; serve in smaller portions in that case.

Once opened, the dressing keeps refrigerated at +2 to +6 °C and should be consumed within 2 weeks. One bottle provides enough for about 3 more salads of this size.