Spicy Green Papaya Salad (som tum or som tam) is a popular dish from the North Eastern part of Thailand (the largely rural Isan region) that combines spicy, sour and sweet flavors to make a classic dish. It is often served alongside barbecue or grilled chicken and a portion of sticky rice.
Green Papaya Salad is a mainstay of Thailand's hawker fare (marketplace and street food) and can be bought in any typical Thai town. This recipe is from well-known Thai cookbook author, Kasma Loha-unchit and reproduced here with the kind permission of Kasma.