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Green papaya salad

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Green papaya salad is claimed as an innovation of the Lao people, which was introduced to central Thailand and the rest of the world by the Lao/Isan migrants moving to Bangkok to seek work. Variations of the dish are found throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and as well as in the West, where it is more commonly known by its Thai name.

A non-spicy green papaya salad version also exists in Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, which is much sweeter; it often contains crushed peanuts, and is less likely to have padaek or brined crab. These last are eaten raw, and both the Lao government and Thai government periodically issues health warnings about the risk of hepatitis. 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 noodle wherein the dish is known as tam sua.

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ส้มตำไทย sôm dtam tai

Som tam Thai with peanuts, dried shrimp and palm sugar, is the central Thai variant of green papaya salad.

ส้มตำปูปลาร้า sôm dtam bpoo bplaa ráa

Regarded as the original som tam, this version of green papaya salad contains pla ra (a sauce of fermented fish), and very often also brined rice paddy crabs, and makok (the fruit of the Spondias mombin) besides the usual ingredients for som tam. It does not however contain peanuts. It is also... more

ตำปูม้า dtam bpoo máa

Papaya Salad with Blue Crab

ตำซั่ว dtam su^a

somtam with kanom jeen

ตำหมูยอ dtam mŏo yor


ตำผลไม้ dtam pŏn-lá-máai

The fruits used in this particular salad show the fusion aspect of Thai cuisine, as it incorporates "modern" (for Thais) fruit such as apples and grapes besides traditional fruit such as pineapple and guava. The dressing is made with pounded garlic, sugar, chillies, dried shrimp, lime juice and... more

ส้มตำ ไก่ย่าง ข้าวเหนียว sôm dtam gài yâang kâao nĭeow

Green papaya salad, grilled chicken and sticky rice is a popular combination in Thailand

ตำส้มโอน้ำปู dtam sôm oh nám bpoo


ตำมะม่วง dtam má-mûang


ตำมะพร้าวอ่อนเส้นหมี่กรอบ dtam má-práao-òn sên mèe gròp


ตำแตง dtamdtaeng

Som tam with Cucumber