This fiery little salad is one of Thailand’s best known culinary exports (despite persistent rumours that it migrated over the border from Laos relatively recently) – and justly so. It’s at once addictively hot and refreshingly crunchy; intensely savoury and insanely sour – in short, the flavours of south-east Asia on a plate, and the only salad to make it into the (extremely subjective) list of “the world’s 50 most delicious foods” a few years ago. While fans of Niçoise, caesar and tabbouleh may quibble with that particular accolade, I suspect they wouldn’t argue with its inclusion on the list – especially in the sticky heat of a Thai July, when som tam’s remarkable cooling properties come into their own. One to bear in mind if the British summer ever puts in a reappearance.