a fresh dish of som tum
Papaya salad is a tradition thai salad that originates from the northeast region of the country and Laos. Made up primarily of green papaya, tomato, garlic and chili peppers, it results in a unique salad which confuses the senses with its blend of sweet and sour along with a hint of spice (or a lot of spice if you are daring enough).
alternative ingredients
In addition to papaya, similar salads are often made with a variety of ingredients, such as cucumber, starfruit and mango. Fruits such as starfruit and mango (as well papaya) are used before they are ripe and hence generally green in color. Using the fruit ripe would make the salad too sweet.
simple preparation
Preparation is quite simple, but cool to watch at the same time. The main toolset is made up of a clay mortar, wooden pestle and a spoon of some sort. The main ingredient (papaya, cucumber, etc) are generally shredded or chopped into smaller pieces, and mashed together with a mixture of tomatoes, garlic, chilies, sugar and fish sauce. In thailand, dry shrimp or raw crab are often added to the mixture as well for flavor.
Check out the ThaiTable website for a great recipe which is easy to follow.
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