Papaya salad, or “Som Tam” as it is known in Thailand, is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. It was listed at number 46 on “World's 50 most delicious foods” compiled by CNN Go in 2011.
| Som Tam stand at the side of the road in Chiang Mai |
 |  |
To prepare Thailand's most famous salad, pound garlic and chilies with a mortar and pestle. Toss in tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya.
When you take the salad “to go”, it is put in a plastic bag. (We still can’t figure out how they are able to inflate the bag like a little balloon when they seal it with a quick spin and elastic band.)
You have to be very careful when you request the number of chilies to be added. “Thai spicy” brings tears to your eyes.
Som tam is one of our favorite Thai dishes and we would look for stands along the streets wherever we would go.
After witnessing how much we enjoyed it, even Gabriel and Naimah started eating it!
While explaining the delectable wonders of Thai cuisine, CNN Go sums it up well:
“The Land of Smiles” isn’t just a marketing catch-line. It’s a result of being born in a land where the world’s most delicious food is sold on nearly every street corner.
