TF

Jul 26, 2022

Papaya Salad

While papaya salad is a signature dish in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, it’s the Thai version that is the most famous and is one of the most common dishes eaten in Thailand. However, food historians believe that this dish originated in Laos.

Som Tum salad was originally called tum bak hoong. The ‘bak hoong’ part translates to mean ‘papaya’ while ‘tam’ means ‘pounded’. Since making green papaya salad involves a lot of pestle and mortar action, it makes sense that it was once known as ‘pounded papaya’. 

The name change came as a result of mass migration from the Isaan region to Bangkok. Migrant workers shared their love of the papaya salad they grew up eating, with both the recipe and the name changing over time for Som Tum to become the street market staple it is today. Although, the ‘pounded’ part of the dish’s name has remained, as Som Tum translates as ‘pounded sour’.

Thailand’s famous green papaya salad teases your taste buds with a tantalizing combination of spicy, sweet, salty, and sour elements. Som Tum usually combines shredded green papaya, Thai chili, green beans, cherry tomatoes, dried baby shrimp, carrots, green beans, and roasted peanuts in a tangy lime sauce. And, while the dish often varies from region to region, there’s nothing quite so unmistakably Thai as Som Tum with a side of sticky rice. (source: thaiginger.com)