{"id":3272,"date":"2011-04-01T13:29:49","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T06:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exotravel.com\/blog\/?p=3272"},"modified":"2016-01-29T09:32:08","modified_gmt":"2016-01-29T09:32:08","slug":"papaya-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exotravel.com\/blog\/en\/papaya-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn the Secrets behind Papaya Salad Making: a Favorite Dish for many Thais and Laotians"},"content":{"rendered":"

You can bet on the Thais and Laotians for spicy and zesty stuff. One of their favorites is the papaya salad. Known as som tum in Thai tum bak hoong in Isaan (Northeast Thailand) and Laos, the dish is a low calorie, healthy, tasty and certainly spicy dish that will alleviate the senses and beg you for more.<\/p>\n

Want to know why the dish is so popular? It combines the four main tastes that the people enjoy most into one salivating dish. The sharp flavor of the papaya, the spiciness of red chilies, the sweetness of palm sugar as well as the saltiness of fish and shrimp sauces result in a dish full of flavor! Don\u2019t be selfish. The dish is meant to be shared. So, the recipe below is for four. Yes, you\u2019ll learn how to make the dish right here! Make sure you have a mortar and pestle ready. It is very important!<\/p>\n

Prepare the following items:<\/p>\n

2 papayas
\n6 chilies (this is pretty spicy, add more or less to fit your desired taste)
\n4 garlic cloves
\n2 tomatoes
\n10 green beans
\n1 cup of chopped basil
\n3 tablespoons of fish sauce (3.5 tablespoons of soy sauce for vegetarians)
\n1 tablespoon of shrimp paste (1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce for vegetarians)
\n0.5 cup of lime juice
\n1 tablespoon of palm sugar<\/p>\n