Som Tum according to Thai dictionary means a kind of Thai food salad made from fruits such as payaya etc. pounded and combined with ingredients, sour taste and for some locality calls “Tum Som”.
Som = orange or to have sour taste
Tum = to poundSom Tum is a highly popular food for Thai people especially in northeastern Thailand
(Issan). Som Tum is a Thai common central language but for Issan people they call Tam Buk Hoong because Buk hoong
is the Lao/Issan word for papaya. Som Tum from Issan people have so
many varieties because they will use so many kinds of vegetables or fruits for making Som Tum like papaya,
yard-long beans, raw banana, banana blossom, star gooseberry, cucumber, pineapple, tamarind etc.