Green Papaya Saald

Som tum is Thailand’s most famous salad, and it starts in a mortar.

Garlic, dried red chilies, and sugar get pounded into a coarse paste. That pounding bruises the garlic and releases oils from the chili that you can’t get from chopping alone. Soy sauce and fresh lemon juice go into the paste to create a dressing that’s salty, sour, sweet, and spicy all at once.

Grated green (unripe) papaya is the base. It’s crunchy, mild, and almost vegetal, nothing like ripe papaya. Julienned green beans add more snap. The salad gets dressed and chilled until serving, then topped with cherry tomatoes and chopped peanuts for bursts of sweetness and crunch.

Raw cabbage leaves on the side are the traditional scoops. Tear off a piece, pile on the salad, and eat with your hands.

Kitchen Tips

• Use unripe, firm green papaya. Ripe papaya is too soft and sweet for this salad. The flesh should be hard and pale green.
• Pound the paste, don’t blend it smooth. You want a rough, chunky texture with visible bits of chili and garlic.
• Soak and seed the dried chilies before pounding to control the heat level.

Variations

• Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce for a more traditional Thai flavor.
• Add dried shrimp for a briny, umami punch that’s common in Bangkok-style som tum.
• Swap green papaya for shredded green mango when papaya isn’t available.