Som Tam (ส้มตำไทย) is one of Thailand’s most famous salads. Prepared in a mortar, it combines crisp green papaya, chili, garlic, long beans, tomatoes, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp.
This recipe is for Som Tam Thai, a version balancing sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavors. The key is to coat and lightly bruise the ingredients without crushing the papaya, so the salad stays fresh and crisp.
At the table with Portail Asie
Traditional Som Tam
Make Som Tam Thai, the classic green papaya salad with chili, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp.
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cooking time
- 0 min
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice level
- 3/5
- Cuisine
- Thailand
- Dish type
- Salad
Last checked: September 1, 2026
About this recipe
Version: Close to traditional
Som Tam refers to a family of mortar-pounded salads historically associated with northeastern Thailand and Laos. This recipe is Som Tam Thai, a version with peanuts and dried shrimp that is now common throughout Thailand.
Do not substitute: Do not use ripe papaya. Its sweet, tender flesh does not provide the characteristic crunch of Som Tam.
Ingredients
Adjust servings to suit your needs.
For the Som Tam
- 1½ cups Green papayapeeled and finely julienned
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 to 3 Thai chiliesadjust to desired heat
- 1½ tbsp Palm sugarfinely chopped or grated
- 2 Thai long beanscut into about 5 cm pieces
- 3 tbsp Unsalted roasted peanutssome lightly crushed
- 1 heaped tbsp Small dried shrimproughly chopped if large
- 2 tbsp Lime juicefreshly squeezed
- 2 tsp Tamarind paste
- 1½ tbsp Fish sauce
- ½ cup Cherry or grape tomatoeshalved
Preparation steps
If the papaya is not very firm, place the julienned papaya in ice water for 10–15 minutes, then drain and dry it thoroughly. Keeping the papaya dry prevents the dressing from becoming diluted.
In a large mortar, pound the garlic and chilies until no large pieces remain. Adjust the number of chilies to your tolerance.
Add the palm sugar and pound until it forms a moist paste. Add the long beans and pound only a few times to bruise them without turning them into a puree.
Add the dried shrimp and about two thirds of the peanuts. Pound lightly to break up some of the peanuts while keeping plenty of texture.
Add the fish sauce, tamarind paste and lime juice. Stir with a large spoon until the sugar dissolves, then taste the dressing. It should be sour, salty, slightly sweet and spicy.
Add the green papaya and tomatoes. Mix by alternating light strokes of the pestle with movements of the spoon, just enough to coat the papaya and release a little tomato juice without crushing the ingredients.
Serve immediately and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts. Som Tam can be served with sticky rice and grilled chicken for a meal inspired by northeastern Thailand.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The salad becomes too watery
Probable cause: The papaya was still wet after rinsing or the tomatoes were crushed too much.
Solution: Dry the julienned papaya thoroughly and pound the tomatoes very lightly.
The papaya loses its crunch
Probable cause: The salad was pounded too aggressively or prepared too long before serving.
Solution: Alternate light strokes of the pestle with mixing by spoon and serve promptly.
The Som Tam is far too spicy
Probable cause: Too many chilies were used or they were pounded very thoroughly.
Solution: Start with one chili and increase gradually in future preparations. Once the chili has been pounded into the salad, its heat is difficult to reduce.
Portail Asie tips
Use a very green and firm papaya: a papaya that has begun to ripen becomes too soft and sweet. Never pound the julienned papaya into a paste; alternate light strokes of the pestle with mixing by spoon so the papaya stays crisp. Start with only a little chili because pounding releases its heat strongly. Always taste the dressing before adding the papaya: Som Tam should balance sourness, saltiness, sweetness and heat.
Substitutions and alternatives
- Green papaya
- The papaya should be unripe, firm and almost white inside. If unavailable, firm cucumber, kohlrabi or daikon can follow the same salad principle, but the result will no longer be a classic Som Tam Thai.
- Thai long beans
- Replace them with thin, crisp green beans cut into short pieces.
- Palm sugar
- Use brown sugar if necessary, starting with a slightly smaller amount and adjusting to taste.
- Dried shrimp
- They provide the characteristic umami flavor of Som Tam Thai. They can be omitted, but the flavor profile will be less traditional.
- Tamarind paste
- If unavailable, slightly increase the lime juice. The flavor will be brighter and less deep than with tamarind.
Watch the preparation
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Order this dish in Thailand
Thai name:ส้มตำไทย
Say it simply:Som Tam Thai
Show this:ส้มตำไทย 1 ที่
Meaning:One Som Tam Thai.
Where to find the ingredients
Green papaya is mainly available in Asian grocery stores and some specialty markets. Choose a very firm fruit with green skin whose flesh has not started turning orange. Dried shrimp, palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and Thai long beans are generally available in Asian supermarkets. In Thailand, Som Tam is common in markets, Isan restaurants and street-food stalls.
