Green Papaya Salad Recipe: 6 Papaya Salad Variations

Green papaya salad (som tam) is a Thai dish consisting of cool, crunchy strips of shredded unripe green papaya, waxy Chinese long beans, sliced tomato, and cabbage. The tangy salad is tossed with a tangy-sweet dressing made with garlic, palm sugar, tamarind, lime juice, and crushed red chilies, then seasoned with dried shrimp and fish sauce. Som tam originated in Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and is derived from a traditional Lao preparation of pounded green mango and cucumber with a sour dressing, tam som. The spicy salad is often served alongside sticky rice and grilled chicken and garnished with roasted peanuts. You can typically find the salad’s signature ingredients (green papaya, dried shrimp, and palm sugar) in Asian markets and grocery stores.

The papaya salad known by most of the Western world is only the beginning: The definitive feature of som tam is the bruising of the ingredients— “tam” refers to the pounding sound of the traditionally used pestle—and variations and riffs on this format are found across Southeast Asia, utilizing an array of raw fruits and vegetables, seafood, and noodles.

1. 1. Som tam Thai: Som tam Thai is the papaya salad found on most restaurant menus. It’s the most familiar—and mildest—type of papaya salad, characterized by its sweet and sour dressing. It’s customary to prepare som tam to the tastes of the diner. When making fresh som tam salad, you can adjust the dish for a sweeter or spicier preparation.
2. 2. Som tam boo pla ra: This papaya salad is the closest to the original Lao dish, served with brined paddy crab meat and heavily seasoned with Lao-style rice bran fermented fish, or pla ra.
3. 3. Tam ba: Tam ba features a grab-bag of local specialties, like shredded unripe Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, and freshwater snails.
   
4. 4. Tam sua: Tam sua pairs green papaya with vermicelli rice noodles.
5. 5. Tam maak kuai: This salad incorporates tomato for extra acidity and features unripe green bananas in place of papaya.
6. 6. Tam maphrao on sen mi krop: Young coconut meat is shredded in place of papaya and served on a bed of crispy rice noodles for this som tam variation.