{{Short description|Spicy salad made from unripe papaya}} {{Redirect|Som tam|the film|Somtum (film)}} {{distinguish|cơm tấm}} {{Infobox food | name = Green papaya salad | image = 2013 Tam Lao.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Green papaya salad with yardlong beans, chili, ''pla ra'', brined crab, hog plum and lime | country = Laos | region = Southeast Asia | national_cuisine = Xishuangbanna (China), Burmese, Cambodian, Lao, Thai, Vietnamese | creator = | course = | type = Salad | served = | main_ingredient = Green papaya | variations = | calories = | other = | similar_dish = }}
'''Green papaya salad'''{{efn|{{langx|my|သင်္ဘောသီးသုပ်}}; {{langx|km|បុកល្ហុង}}; {{langx|lo|ຕຳຫມາກຫຸ່ງ/ຕໍາສົ້ມ}}, {{IPA|lo|tàm mȁːk.hūŋ, tàm.sȍm|pron}}; {{langx|rki|ပဒကာသီးသုပ်}}; {{langx|tts|ตำบักหุ่ง/ตำส้ม}}, {{IPA|lo|tām bǎk.hūŋ, tām.sòm|pron}}; and {{langx|vi|gỏi đu đủ}}}} is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. Known as '''tam som''' or '''tam mak hoong''' in Laos, the dish is characterized by its bold flavors, combining sour, spicy, salty, and slightly sweet elements. It is believed to have been created by the Lao people and is considered one of the national dishes of Laos.<ref>{{cite web |publication-date=6 December 2015 |title=Laotian Food Is The International Cuisine You've Been Missing |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/laotian-food_n_6615114 |website=The Huffington Post |date=5 February 2015 |access-date=18 January 2023 |quote=Sticky rice, laap, papaya salad: this is Thai food, right? Not originally. These well-known Asian dishes that have traveled the globe to appear on Thai restaurant menus everywhere are actually Laotian in origin. |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118234544/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/laotian-food_n_6615114 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=5 January 2010|title=The Tao of Papaya|url=http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/jet-stream/2010/jan/05/tao-papaya/|website=Las Vegas Weekly|access-date=28 February 2013|archive-date=30 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730204755/https://lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/jet-stream/2010/jan/05/tao-papaya/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Asian American">{{cite book |editor1=Jonathan H. X. Lee |editor2=Kathleen Nadeau |title=Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9BrfLWdeISoC&pg=PA733 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2010 |pages=733 |isbn=978-0-313-35066-5 |quote=Some Laotians will argue that the papaya salad was invented in Laos and then exported to Cambodia, Thai, and Vietnam, where it was adopted.}}</ref><ref name="Culture Trip">{{cite web |last=Iverson |first=Kelly |date=9 May 2017 |title=A Brief History of Som Tum, Thailand's Popular Green Papaya Salad |url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/a-brief-history-of-som-tum-thailands-popular-green-papaya-salad/ |website=Culture Trip |access-date=26 May 2021 |quote=Food historians believe the dish originated in Thailand's northeast neighbor of Laos, which might be why green papaya salad is one of the most popular dishes in Isaan, the northeastern region of the country. |archive-date=11 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511203812/https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/a-brief-history-of-som-tum-thailands-popular-green-papaya-salad/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Thai Ginger">{{cite web |date=24 August 2020 |title=The Curious History of Som Tum (Papaya Salad) |url=https://thaiginger.com/the-curious-history-of-som-tum-papaya-salad/ |website=Thai Ginger |access-date=26 May 2021 |quote=While papaya salad is a signature dish in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, it's the Thai version that is the most famous. However, food historians believe that this dish originated in Laos. |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507221029/https://thaiginger.com/the-curious-history-of-som-tum-papaya-salad/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=22 October 2021 |title=10 National Dishes from Southeast Asia |url=https://gobackpacking.com/national-dishes-from-southeast-asia/ |website=Go Backpacking |date=24 October 2011 |access-date=18 January 2023 |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118234551/https://gobackpacking.com/national-dishes-from-southeast-asia/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Papaya salad with shrimp, Laos|last1=Schulz|first1=Daniela|last2=Drescher|first2=Stephanie|work=Deutsche Welle|date=24 May 2017|url=https://www.dw.com/en/papaya-salad-with-shrimp-laos/a-37837972|access-date=2021-06-21|archive-date=4 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504162357/https://www.dw.com/en/papaya-salad-with-shrimp-laos/a-37837972|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=26 June 2019 |title=Southeast Asian Cuisine: What to Eat in Southeast Asia and Where to Find It |url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/southeast-asian-cuisine-1458385 |website=tripsavvy |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref>
The dish is also popular in neighboring Thailand, particularly in the Isan region, where the population is predominantly ethnic Lao. From Isan, green papaya salad, known in Thai as '''som tam''', spread throughout Thailand and became a staple of Thai cuisine.<ref>{{cite web |publication-date=7 March 2004|language=th|title=ส้มตำไม่ใช่อาหารประจำชาติไทยจริงหรือไม่|url=https://www.oknation.net/post/detail/634d6b37550e52a62a3f1c54|author=สุชาฎา ประพันธ์วงศ์|website=oknation.net|access-date=24 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publication-date=n.d.|title=The Som Tum Thai Story|url=https://iamkohchang.com/blog/som-tum-thai.html|website=IamKohChang.com|author=Ian|access-date=6 April 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408021401/https://iamkohchang.com/blog/som-tum-thai.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=n.d.|title=Som Tam, the Ori-gins and Recipe/|url=https://www.theakyra.com/blog/som-tam-origins-and-recipe/|website=theakyra.com|access-date=6 April 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408021401/https://www.theakyra.com/blog/som-tam-origins-and-recipe/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=15 September 2022|title=The Ultimate Guide to Som Tum (Papaya Salad)|url=https://www.expique.com/article/guide-to-som-tum-papaya-salad/|publisher=Expique|access-date=7 April 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408022904/https://www.expique.com/article/guide-to-som-tum-papaya-salad/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-06 |title=Som Tam Recipe (Thai Green Papaya Salad) from Chef David Thompson |url=https://www.topasianchefs.com/recipe/som-tam-recipe-thai-green-papaya-salad-from-chef-david-thompson/ |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Top Asian Chefs |language=en-US |archive-date=6 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406084405/https://www.topasianchefs.com/recipe/som-tam-recipe-thai-green-papaya-salad-from-chef-david-thompson/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Best somtum places in Bangkok |url=https://www.timeout.com/bangkok/restaurants/best-somtum-places-in-bangkok |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Time Out Bangkok |date=21 February 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=21 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521211057/https://www.timeout.com/bangkok/restaurants/best-somtum-places-in-bangkok |url-status=live }}</ref> Beyond Laos and Thailand, green papaya salad has also gained popularity across continental Southeast Asia, including Cambodia,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rivière |first1=Joannès |author-link1=Joannès Rivière |date=2008 |title=Cambodian Cooking: A humanitarian project in collaboration with Act for Cambodia |publisher=Periplus Editions |page=29 |isbn=978-0-794-65039-1}}</ref> Myanmar,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Robert|first1=Claudia Saw Lwin|url=|title=The Food of Myanmar: Authentic Recipes from the Land of the Golden Pagodas|last2=Pe|first2=Win|last3=Hutton|first3=Wendy|date=2014-02-04|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-1-4629-1368-8|location=|pages=|language=en}}</ref> and Vietnam.<ref>{{Citation|title=Papaya Salad Recipe: How to Make Green Papaya Salad (Cambodian Version)|url=https://www.thidaskitchen.com/papaya-salad/|date=January 24, 2023|author=Thida Koeut|access-date=28 February 2023|archive-date=28 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228074703/https://www.thidaskitchen.com/papaya-salad/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Etymology== The dish is traditionally called ''tam mak hoong'' ({{langx|lo|ຕຳຫມາກຫຸ່ງ}}, {{IPA|lo|tàm mȁːk.hūŋ|pron}}, {{literal translation|pounded papaya}}) or ''tam som'' ({{langx|lo|ຕໍາສົ້ມ}}, {{IPA|lo|tàm.sȍm|pron}}, {{literal translation|sour pounded [salad]}}), in which the word ''tam'' ({{langx|lo|ຕໍາ}}) refers to the pounding of ingredients in a mortar, a method of preparation central to Lao and neighboring culinary traditions.
In Thailand, the salad is widely known as ''som tam'' ({{langx|th|ส้มตำ}}, {{IPA|lo|sôm.tām|pron}}, {{RTGS|somtam}}), combining the Thai words ''som'' (ส้ม, "sour") and ''tam'' (ตำ, "pounded"). In Isan, a region with strong cultural and linguistic ties to Laos, the salad uses Lao-derived names ''tam bak hung'' ({{langx|tts|ตำบักหุ่ง}}) or ''tam som'' ({{langx|tts|ตำส้ม}}).
Regional variations and names include:
* '''Burmese''': သင်္ဘောသီးသုပ် (''thìn bau: thi: thoùp'') * '''Khmer''': បុកល្ហុង (''bok l'hong'') * '''Rakhine''': ပဒကာသီးသုပ် (''pədəɡà θí θùp'') * '''Vietnamese''': ''gỏi đu đủ'' (a general term for papaya salad, often less spicy)
==History== Papayas and chili peppers were introduced to Southeast Asia by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 17th century from the Americas in the Columbian Exchange.<ref>{{cite book |last=Van Esterik |first=Penny |title=Food Culture of Southeast Asia |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2008 |page=12 |isbn=978-0-313-34419-0}}</ref> Simon de la Loubère (1642–1729), a French diplomat, mentioned in his book that the cultivation of papaya was already widespread in Siam in 1693.<ref name="siamlaloubereeng">{{cite book|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A48403.0001.001/1:11.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext|last1=de La Loubère|first1=Simon|translator=A.P.|title=A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam A Description of the principal Fruits of Siam.|date=1693|language=en|access-date=17 February 2023|archive-date=17 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217070913/https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A48403.0001.001/1:11.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Bernard Maloney|title=Environmental Reconstruction at Ayutthaya|publisher=Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsletter|date=October 1999}}</ref>
Although it is unknown when papayas and chili peppers entered Laos specifically, they had already been fully integrated into the Lao territory by the time Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix and Henri Mouhot visited in mid-1800s,<ref name="pallegoix">{{cite book |last=Callis |first=Kristine Lee |year=2005 |title=The History of Plant Use in Laos: Analysis of European Accounts of Plant Use for Primarily Religious and Medicinal Purposes |url=https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/bitstream/handle/1840.16/1755/etd.pdf#page=51 |publisher=North Carolina State University |pages=43–44 |access-date=10 December 2021 |archive-date=10 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210125452/https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/bitstream/handle/1840.16/1755/etd.pdf#page=51 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="mouhot">Mouhot, Henri, and Ferdinand de. Lanoye. Voyage Dans Les Royaumes De Siam, De Cambodge, De Laos Et Autres Parties Centrales De L'Indo-Chine: Relation Extraite Du Journal Et De La Correspondance De L'auteur. Hachette, 1868. 322. Print</ref> and were listed among key ingredients for preparing main Lao dishes.<ref name="estrade">{{cite book |last=Estrade |first=Docteur |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044088603329 |title=Manuel de conversation, franco-laotiens: prononciation en français avec signes conventionnel, transcription de tous les termes en caractères laotiens., deuxieme edition |year=1895 |series=Dictionnaire et guide franco-laotien |pages=25–26 |hdl=2027/hvd.32044088603329}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Carné |first1=Louis de |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044055336309 |title=Voyage En Indo-Chine Et Dans L'empire Chinois. Paris: E. Dentu |last2=Carné |first2=Louis-Joseph-Marie de |publisher=E. Dentu |year=1872 |pages=86, 91 |hdl=2027/hvd.32044055336309}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Massie |first=Victor-Alphonse |url=https://archive.org/details/DictionnaireFranais-laotien_546/mode/1up?view=theater |title=Dictionnaire français-laotien: Mission Pavie, exploration de l' indochine (Latin characters) |year=1894}}</ref> The Lao were introduced to papaya (''mak hung'') from Khmer Loeu living in provinces bordering the southeastern Laos (who called them ''l'hun'' or ''lohung/rohung'' in Khmer).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vidal |first1= J.-E |last2=Martel |first2=Gabrielle |last3=Lewitz|first3=Saveros |title=Notes ethnobotaniques sur quelques plantes en usage au Cambodge |url= https://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/befeo_0336-1519_1969_num_55_1_4862.pdf |journal=Bulletin de l'École Française d'Extrême-Orient |year=1969 |volume=55|issue= 1 |page=192|doi= 10.3406/befeo.1969.4862 }}</ref> Papaya, among other fruits, were cultivated in Cambodia in the 1500s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Poilane |first1=Eugene |title= Les arbres fruitiers d'Indochine |url= https://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/jatba_0021-7662_1965_num_12_6_2830.pdf |journal= Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquée |year=1965 |volume=12 |issue=6–8 |page=250}}</ref>
Green papaya salad was mentioned as a favorite Lao dish by a former Lao politician, Katay Don Sasorith (1904–1959), in a memoir recounting his experience during his primary school years in 1910s.<ref name="sasorith">{{Cite book |last=Sasorith |first=Katay D |title= Souvenirs d'un ancien écolier de Paksé |publisher= Editions Lao Sedone |year=1958 |page=31}}</ref> Furthermore, according to the travelogue "Nirat Wang Bang Yi Khan" written in 1869 by Thai poet Khun Phum, the dish was already known among members of the Lao royal family living as war hostages in Bang Yi Khan compound in Bangkok, Siam.<ref>{{cite web|publication-date= 19 March 2015|title=Remnants of the Laos connection|url= https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/travel/501707/remnants-of-the-laos-connection|website=Bangkok Post|access-date=7 February 2025 |last1=Svasti |first1=Pichaya }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=n.d.|language=th|title=นิราศวังบางยี่ขัน|url=https://vajirayana.org/นิราศวังบางยี่ขัน/นิราศวังบางยี่ขัน#google_vignette|website=vajirayana.org|access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref> Thai historian Sujit Wongthes has speculated that the green papaya salad originated during the late 18th to early 19th centuries in the communities of ethnic Chinese–Lao settlers living in what is now Central Thailand, where papayas were widely cultivated by Chinese immigrants. The Lao settlers, who were war captives deported from Lan Xang, adopted the ancient Lao tradition of preparing salads from fruits, called ''tam som'', to make salads from papayas. The new dish became known as ''som tam'' (the reversed order of ''tam som'') and, along with the papayas, then spread to today's Northeast Thailand following the construction of the Northeastern railway line during the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. The dish became more popular after the opening of Mittraphap Road in 1957, and has since become widely adopted by the ethnic Lao people of both Isan and Laos. Likewise, the hot flavour also spread to Isan and Laos from Central Thailand, which had been introduced to chilli peppers first.<ref>{{cite news |date=25 December 2014 |title=′มะละกอ′มีกำเนิดจากทวีปอเมริกา มาเป็น′ส้มตำ′ เริ่มมีในบางกอก - สุวรรณภูมิในอาเซียน |language=th |trans-title='Papaya' - originated in the Americas, became 'som tam' in Bangkok |work=Matichon |url=https://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1419480546 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031349/https://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1419480546 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=20 April 2007|language=th|title=ส้มตำของใคร?|url=https://anukpn.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/ส้มตำของใคร/|website=anukpn.wordpress.com |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref>
However, papayas and chili peppers were already integrated in the Lao territory and Lao culinary recipes in mid-1800s to early 1900s<ref name="pallegoix"/><ref name="mouhot"/><ref name="estrade"/><ref name="sasorith"/> while, during the 1950s and 1960s, green papaya salad and other Lao dishes were rarely known in Bangkok. They could only be found around the boxing stadium that gathered boxers and fans from Northeastern Thailand, as well as in mobile food carts outside construction sites with Northeastern workers and gas stations serving long-distance bus drivers. Some believe that ''som tam'' gained popularity among the young Thai generations following an active publicity in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |publication-date=31 October 2016|title=Open Source!!Somtum Song (เปิดที่มา!! "เพลงส้มตำ") |url= https://www.tnews.co.th/region/211027|language=th|website=Thainewsonline|access-date=14 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=n.d.|title=Lao Papaya Salad |url=https://laoslife.info/lao-papaya-salad/ |website=Laos Life |access-date=28 March 2023 |archive-date=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330144248/https://www.laoslife.info/lao-papaya-salad/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Furthermore, it was created using refined recipes of Lao ''tam som'', or ''tam mak hung'',<ref>{{cite web |publication-date=n.d. |title=Somtum Song (Lyrics) |url= https://www.sac.or.th/exhibition/princess/writings/somtum/|website=Sirindhorn Anthropology Center|language=th|access-date=16 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publication-date=1 September 2020|language=th|title=เปิดประวัติ ส้มตำ เมนูรสเด็ดที่ใคร ต่างก็ชื่นชอบ แถมยังสามารถทำทานเองได้ง่ายๆ|url=https://sou-dai.com/เปิดประวัติ-ส้มตำ-เมนูรส/|website=sou-dai|access-date=16 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publication-date=n.d.|language=th|title=ตำบักหุ่งนัวคัก|url=http://finalproject5600389.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html|website=finalproject|access-date=16 August 2023}}</ref> likely brought to Bangkok by migrant workers from the Northeast during the mid-1900s.<ref name="sipa2">{{cite web|url=https://www.silpa-mag.com/culture/article_5140|title=สืบที่มา "ส้มตำ" เข้ากรุงเทพฯ เมื่อไหร่-คนกรุงสมัยก่อนกินส้มตำที่ไหน|author=ธงชัย ลิขิตพรสวรรค์|date=July 25, 2020|work=ศิลปวัฒนธรรม|language=th|access-date=28 February 2023|archive-date=28 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228211927/https://www.silpa-mag.com/culture/article_5140|url-status=live}}</ref> During the standardization of the Thai national cuisine, green papaya salad was among the Northeastern or Lao dishes to be included into the Thai national cuisine and modified by reducing the amount of chilli peppers and increasing the amount of sugar.<ref name="Thai cuisine">{{cite journal |last1=Van Esterik |first1=Penny |year=1992 |title=From Marco Polo to McDonald's: Thai cuisine in transition |url=http://laps-dept.apps01.yorku.ca/anth/faculty/esterik/documents/1992MarcoPolo.pdf |journal=Food and Foodways: Explorations in the History and Culture of Human Nourishment |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=177–193 |access-date=10 December 2021 |archive-date=10 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210205808/http://laps-dept.apps01.yorku.ca/anth/faculty/esterik/documents/1992MarcoPolo.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
Others believe that ''som tam'' has evolved from a Thai dish called ''pu tam'' or ''tam pu'' ({{Langx|th|ปูตำ}} หรือ ตำปู, {{lit|crab salad}}) mentioned in a recipe by chef Khunying Plian Phatsakarawong in her 1908 cookbook ''Tamra Mae Khrua Hua Pak''. This dish shares similarities with modern-day ''som tam'' but does not include papaya as an ingredient.<ref name="silpa">{{Cite book|title=แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์|date=1908|page=98|issue=3}}</ref><ref name="sipa2"/>
The earliest known recipe for green papaya ''som tam'' in Thai print appears in ''Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk'' ({{Langx|th|ตำราครอบโลก}}, "A Cookbook Encompassing the World"), Volume 1, published in 1929 by the Lee Hong Wan Sao Ching Cha Press in Bangkok and authored under the pseudonym ''naang saao H.D.'' (น.ส.ห.ด). The recipe is titled ''som tam mamalakor'' (ส้มตำมะละกอ) and appears at page 70 within the ''yam'' (ยำ) chapter as a freestanding ''yam''-family dish.<ref name="thaifoodmaster_khaomansomtam">{{cite web |url=https://thaifoodmaster.com/courses/papaya-salad-khaao-man-sohm-dtam |title=Khaao Man Sohm Dtam: The First Recorded Papaya Salad Recipe |website=Thaifoodmaster |access-date=10 May 2026}}</ref>
A second early Thai recipe appears six years later in the Yaowapha cookbook series by Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid, published in 1935, which records ''khao man som tam'' ({{Langx|th|ข้าวมันส้มตำ}}) — a central-Thai ''samrap'' (set meal) in which a ''som tam thai deerm'' (old-fashioned Thai ''som tam'') component is served with coconut-cream rice, spice curry, tamarind chili relish, sweet meat threads, salted fish fried in egg batter, and battered fried leaves and flowers. This recipe includes roasted peanuts and dried shrimp as key ingredients and combines the dressing with shredded papaya in a bowl rather than pounding the ingredients together in a mortar.<ref>{{citation|title=ตำหรับสายเยาวภา: บอกวิธีปรุงอาหารคาวหวาน มีภาพประกอบ|author=Yaowaphapong Sanit HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn|date=1884–1934|url=https://archive.org/details/unset00002427/page/n165/mode/2up|pages=25, 116|language=th|publisher=Thammasat University}}</ref><ref name="silpa" /><ref name="sipa2" /><ref name="thaifoodmaster_khaomansomtam"/><ref>{{Citation|title="ลอ-กอ-ยอก" ปักษ์ใต้ก็มีส้มตำที่ไม่ได้มาจากกรุงเทพฯ หรืออีสาน|url=https://www.the101.world/southern-papaya-salad/|language=th|author=คมกฤช อุ่ยเต็กเค่ง|date=February 1, 2021|author-link=Komkrit Uitekkeng|access-date=28 February 2023|archive-date=28 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228213218/https://www.the101.world/southern-papaya-salad/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Preparation== thumb|right|Unripe papaya being sliced into thin strips during preparation of the salad{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2022}}
The dish combines the five main basic tastes: the sourness of the lime, spiciness of the chili, saltiness and savoriness of the fish sauce, and sweetness of palm sugar.{{Disputed inline|date=May 2024}}<!--Spiciness is not one of the five basic tastes. Bitterness is the fifth one not listed.-->
Pounded salads in Laos all fall under the parent category of ''tam som'', which may or may not contain green papaya; when no specific type of ''tam som'' is mentioned, it is generally understood to refer to green papaya salad. For absolute clarity, however, the name ''tam maak hoong'' may be used, since this name means "pounded papaya".
In Thailand, it is customary for a customer to ask the preparer to make the dish suited to the customer's own tastes. To specifically refer to the original style of papaya salad as prepared in Laos or Isan, it is known as {{lang|th|ส้มตำลาว}} or ''som tam Lao'' or simply as ''tam Lao'' and the dish as prepared in central Thailand may be referred to as ''som tam Thai''.
Traditionally, the local variety of green papaya salad in the streets of Bangkok is very spicy due to the addition of a fistful of chopped hot bird's eye chili. However, with its rising popularity among tourists, it is now often served less spicy than it used to be in the past.
===Additional ingredients=== [[File:Pounding somtam213.jpg|thumb|upright|Street vendor from Isan pounding green papaya salad in Bangkok]] [[File:Som tam khao niao kai yang.jpg|thumb|Green papaya salad, grilled chicken and sticky rice is a popular combination in Laos and Thailand.]] Together with the papaya, some or most of the following secondary items are added and pounded in the mortar with the pestle: *Asparagus beans *Brined "rice field crabs". These belong to the freshwater crab genera ''Sayamia'', ''Chulathelphusa'', and ''Esanthelphusa'' (previously classified as part of the genus ''Somanniathelphusa''), which all belong to the Gecarcinucid crab subfamily Parathelphusinae.<ref>Ponchunchoovong, Samorn (2006). [http://sutir.sut.ac.th:8080/sutir/bitstream/123456789/1341/2/BIB1172_F.pdf Species identification of Thai Rice-field Crab in the lower north-eastern region of Thailand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809050648/http://sutir.sut.ac.th:8080/sutir/bitstream/123456789/1341/2/bib1172_f.pdf |date=9 August 2017 }}.</ref> found in flooded rice fields and canals. Isan people eat the entire crab, including the shell. *Chili pepper *Dried shrimp *Fish sauce *Garlic *Monosodium glutamate *Hog plums *Lime slice and lime juice *Palm sugar *Shrimp paste *Fish paste *Raw Thai eggplant *Cherry or grape tomatoes (green or ripe)
Green papaya salad is often served with glutinous rice and ''kai yang''/''ping gai'' (grilled chicken). It can also be eaten with fresh rice noodles or simply as a snack by itself with, for instance, crispy pork rinds. The dish is often accompanied by raw green vegetables such as water spinach and white cabbage wedges on the side to mitigate the spiciness of the dish.
==Variations== {{More citations needed section|date=February 2023}} A non-spicy green papaya salad version exists in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, which is much sweeter; it often contains crushed peanuts and is less likely to have fish paste or brined crab.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin/show_recipe.cgi?thai+recipe125|title=Clay's Kitchen : Tam Ra Ahan Thai (Thai Recipes) ตำราอาหารไทย|work=panix.com|access-date=11 April 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194928/http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/bin/show_recipe.cgi?thai+recipe125|url-status=live}}</ref> Dried brine shrimp are used in this Central Thai version. There are also versions that make use of unripe mangoes, apples, cucumbers, carrots and other firm vegetables or unripe fruit. Besides using varieties of fruits or vegetables as the main ingredient a popular option is to use vermicelli rice noodles wherein the dish is known as ''tam sua''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2022 |title=Green Papaya Salad Recipe: 6 Papaya Salad Variations |url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/papaya-salad-recipe |access-date=May 19, 2023 |website=MasterClass |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519234028/https://www.masterclass.com/articles/papaya-salad-recipe |url-status=live }}</ref>
Instead of papaya, other ingredients can be used as the main ingredient. Popular variations in Laos and Thailand include the salad with:{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} *Cucumber, usually the small variety (''tam maak taeng'', ''tam taengkwa'') *Green and unripe mango (''tam maak muang'', ''tam mamuang'') *Green and unripe bananas (''tam maak kuai'', ''tam kluai'') *Hard and unripe santol (''tam krathon'') *Banana flowers (''tam hua pli'') *Malay gooseberry (''tam mayom'') *Pomelo (''tam som o'') *''Mu yo'' sausage (''tam mu yo'') *Mixed fruit (''tam phonlamai ruam'') *Coconut rice (''khao man som tam'')
<gallery mode="packed"> File:Lao papaya salad.jpg|Lao papaya salad with pork rinds File:Luang Prabang papaya salad.jpg|Luang Prabang style Lao papaya salad from Northern Laos File:Lao papaya salad with seafood.jpg|Lao papaya salad with selected crustacea, mollusks, and shellfish in addition to papaya strips File:Som tam thai.JPG|Thai green papaya salad with peanuts File:Som tam pu.jpg|Green papaya salad with brined rice paddy crabs (''som tam pu'') File:Tam phonla mai ruam.jpg|Green papaya salad with mixed fruit (''tam phonlamai ruam'') File:Somtam huapli832.jpg|Green papaya salad with banana flowers (''tam hua pli'') File:Tam mu yo.jpg|Green papaya salad with ''mu yo'' sausage (''tam mu yo'') File:Tam mamuang pla haeng thot.jpg|A variation of the salad with green mango instead of papaya and dried anchovies (''tam mamuang pla haeng thot'') File:Tam maphrao on sen mi krop 02.jpg|''Tam maphrao on sen mi krop'': a variation with soft coconut meat and deep-fried rice noodle </gallery>
== Reception == The Thai variation ''som tam'' has been listed at number 46 on ''World's 50 most delicious foods''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=12 July 2017 |title=The world's 50 best foods |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html |website=CNN Travel |access-date=25 July 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727073515/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> compiled by ''CNN Go'' in 2011<ref name=":3">{{cite web |date=21 July 2011 |title=World's 50 most delicious foods |url=http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/eat/worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-067535 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721162030/http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/eat/worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-067535 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |access-date=2011-10-11 |website=CNN GO |quote=46. Som tam, Thailand}}</ref> and 2018.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |date=14 March 2018 |title=The world's 50 best foods |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html |access-date=9 March 2019 |website=CNN Travel |archive-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111015823/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Food}} * List of fruit dishes *List of salads *Atchara
==Note== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Cummings, Joe. (2000). ''World Food: Thailand''. UK: Lonely Planet Publishers. pp. 157–8. {{ISBN|1-86450-026-3}} * Williams, China ‘'et al.''. (). ‘'Southeast Asia on a Shoestring: Big Trips on Small Budgets.'' Lonely Planet. p. 31. {{ISBN|1-74104-164-3}} * Brissenden, Rosemary. (2007). ''Southeast Asian food: Classic and Modern Dishes from Indonesia, Malaysia, ..'' Tuttle Publishing. pp. 434 – 439. {{ISBN|0-7946-0488-9}} * McDermoot, Nancie. (1992). ''Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking.'' Chronicle Books. pp. 121 – 146. {{ISBN|0-8118-0017-2}} {{Commons category}}
{{Burmese cuisine}} {{Cambodian cuisine}} {{Lao cuisine}} {{Thai cuisine}} {{Vietnamese cuisine}} {{Salads}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papaya Salad}} Category:Salads Category:Vegetable dishes of Thailand Category:Burmese cuisine Category:Cambodian salads Category:Lao cuisine Category:Thai cuisine Category:Vegetable dishes Category:Fruit salads Category:National dishes Category:Papaya dishes