Comments on: Green Papaya Salad

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:59:59 +0000

i use shredded/grated carrot instead of papaya and it works pretty well.

By: Dana

Dana — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:40:43 +0000

Preparing papaya as described is almost an art form and is the oriental version of Juliann (sp) slicing.

Hold the fruit in the palm of your hand facing lengthwise and perpendicular to your body. In the other hand holding a long kitchen knife and make repetitive chopping strokes on the fruit with sufficient force to create a quarter inch cut in the fruit.

After approximately 15 such cuts, you then turn the knife flat to the fruit and slice lengthwise creating Juliann slices.

When you’ve reached the end of the vertical cuts in the fruit, repeat the process as many times as necessary to exhaust either the fruit, your patience or both.

Gadget minded as I am, I purchased a hand held Juliann slicer to satisfy my appetite for this dish.

By: cee

cee — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:14:46 +0000

lp- i’m guessing those weed veggies you speak of are thai water spinach (not the chinese kind you see stir fried). usually they give me long beans and white cabbage only, but there are a bunch of other veggies which you get too. if that’s not it, maybe take a picture next time and i can i.d. it for you!

By: LP

LP — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:03:22 +0000

I’m a som tam addict & eat it about 3 times a week. I actually get cravings for it, which might be because it’s so packed full of nutrients as well as being so tasty. The lady that I go to makes it vegetarian for me with light soy sauce instead of fish sauce & I’ve seen (Thai) locals ask for it vegetarian too. She knows now how many chillis to put in it for me.
Cee, can I ask what the strange weed-like vegetables are that she gives me to eat with it? I don’t like them & usually say no thanks if I’m paying attention and just have the long beans & white cabbage that goes in the bag too.
Some people might find it useful to know that people often eat sticky rice (khao niaow) with som tam, which is good cos if you have a plate that’s too spicy the rice will cool down your tongue. Also grilled barbecued meat or fish is usually served with it – so that could be a good dinner party menu…?

By: cee

cee — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:06:03 +0000

Neil-

It actually is pretty authentic! It's common to see "som tam daeng gwaa" (or just "tam daeng") on the menu up in Northeast Thailand (Issan). Usually it's got a hard boiled egg in there too. Yum!

By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:53:43 +0000

If you can’t find green papaya may I recommend about 3/4 of an english cucumber (or a full american cucumber, seeded). I used a mandoline to shred them and they come out a perfect size. After slicing/shredding let them sit in a colander for a few minutes to drain any excess water, then pat dry with a paper towel.

I know, its not authentic, but its pretty darn close, tastes fantastic, and doesn’t require a special trip to the asian market.

By: jennyccy

jennyccy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:47:42 +0000

It look really easy to make this recipe. I like thai food very much and I will try this at home. Thanks.

By: mai

mai — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:07:13 +0000

oh by the way my mum is a great thai chef prob one of the best overall compared to those in england. she is thai and said you can use shrimp paste in som dam along with fish source as well and it taste very nice to add an extra taste to it if you have not got brined crab or bla la if you dont want to make som tam in that style!. but appretaite your recipes for others to enjoy

By: Smukke

Smukke — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:18:10 +0000

Yum,yum! This has been delicious! I have left the prawns out and added a bit of Tamarind and it was just how I remembered it – can’t believe I have waited so long trying for myself. The most difficult bit is finding green papaya in Britain – green mango might be easier, will try this next time. Oh, I feel myself getting addicted again…but have been too mean to splurge out £5+ in Thai restaurants in Britain! Thank you!

By: Thai Green Papaya Salad «

Thai Green Papaya Salad « — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:27:38 +0000

[...] julienned carrot, zucchini and mung bean sprouts instead. I found a fantastic recipe for the salad here although you can google it and they are all pretty much the same. I have to say, it was a delicious [...]