A bright, crunchy, punishingly spicy salad from Northeast Thailand that's now one of Bangkok's most popular dishes.
Shredded green (unripe) papaya pounded in a mortar with garlic, chili, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, and dried shrimp — the balance is everything.
Som Tum Thai (mild, peanuts, no fermented crab); Som Tum Pu (fermented blue crab — more funky, for adventurous eaters); Som Tum Pla Ra (fermented fish sauce — very pungent).
Som Tum can be devastatingly spicy — even 'mild' versions have real heat; say 'mai pet' (not spicy) or 'pet nit noi' (a little spicy) clearly.
Isaan (northeast Thai) restaurants and market stalls throughout Bangkok; very cheap (30–60 THB); usually made to order so specify spice level.
Sticky rice and grilled chicken (gai yang) are the classic accompaniments — together they form the standard Isaan meal, balancing the salad's heat and acidity.
The mortar-and-pestle pounding is part of the theatre — a good vendor works quickly and rhythmically, and watching the process is genuinely part of the appeal at a street stall.