Som tam — green papaya salad — is one of the most beloved dishes in Thai and Lao cuisine, and one of the best arguments for keeping your pantry stocked with Southeast Asian ingredients. It’s fast, requires no cooking, and delivers an extraordinary balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet in every bite.

The most important ingredient is a firm, unripe green papaya. You cannot substitute ripe papaya — the texture and flavor are completely different. Green papaya is available at Shuang Hur year-round.

Ingredients (Serves 2 as a side)

  • 1 small green papaya (about 1 lb), peeled and shredded
  • 6–8 dried shrimp (kung haeng)
  • 2–4 fresh Thai bird’s eye chilies (adjust to heat preference)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 handful long beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Method

  1. Shred the papaya. Peel the papaya, cut in half, and remove seeds. Use a papaya shredder, mandoline, or box grater to create long, thin shreds. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to crisp, then drain and pat dry.
  2. Pound the base. In a large mortar, pound the chilies and garlic into a rough paste. Add palm sugar and pound until dissolved. Add dried shrimp and lightly bruise.
  3. Add the vegetables. Add long beans and tomatoes to the mortar and pound lightly — you want them bruised, not crushed.
  4. Add papaya and dress. Add the shredded papaya and toss everything together with the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and adjust: it should be sour, spicy, salty, and slightly sweet in equal measure.
  5. Serve immediately. Top with roasted peanuts. Som tam is best eaten right away — it wilts quickly.
  6. Where to Find Ingredients at Shuang Hur

Green papaya, long beans, fresh bird’s eye chilies, dried shrimp, palm sugar, and fish sauce are all stocked consistently at Shuang Hur. The produce section typically has both green papaya and the cherry tomatoes needed for this recipe.