While green papaya may seem a world apart from the tender orange tropical fruit we all know, green papayas aren't a different species of papaya. They're simply immature papayas that have not yet begun to ripen. When green, they have white flesh, a neutral flavor and crunchy carrot-like texture making them perfect for salads like this Som Tam (ส้มตำ)
While green papaya is eaten in salads across Southeast Asia, each region has it's own version. In Thailand green papaya salad is called Som Tam and is made with a giant mortar and pestle. Garlic and chilies are first crushed to release their flavors. Then, long beans, dried shrimp and peanuts are added and crushed. This not only tenderizes them, but it also helps them absorb more dressing. Finally the tomatoes, shredded papaya and dressing go in and get mixed together.
To replicate this without the mortar and pestle, I do a couple things differently. First, I add the garlic and chilies to the dressing and puree it in a food processor or blender. If you can't tolerate a lot of heat, it might be best to leave them out or to scrape out the seeds and white membranes first to reduce the heat. Next, I pound the green beans(or long beans if you can find them) and dried shrimp using a mallet or meat tenderizer. Finally, all the ingredients go into a bowl and get tossed together.
The resulting salad is a sweet, sour, spicy and savory medley of tastes, with crunchy, crisp, chewy and tender textures which make it a lot of fun to eat, especially on a hot summer day when your appetite has gone into hibernation.
When you're choosing a green papaya, it's important that you get one that is very green. Look for ones with smooth uniformly vibrant green skin that don't give when pressed with your thumb. If it's pale green or has a hint of yellow on the skin, chances are it's already started to ripen.
Because the shredded papaya tends to get soggy if you let it sit, it's best to eat the salad as soon as you dress it. If you're not planning on eating it right away, prepare everything ahead of time, and keep the vegetables separate from the dressing in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
If you're vegan, you can just leave out the dried shrimp and substitute white soy sauce for the fish sauce.
I also have a slightly different take on using green fruit in a salad. Green Peach Salad with Feta may sound Mediterranean, but the inspiration actually came from Australia.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup lime juice (~ 1 ½ limes)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 grams garlic (~1 clove)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 Thai bird chilies (to taste)
- 500 grams green papaya (~1 small )
- 150 grams tomatoes (~2 small cut into bite-size pieces)
- 80 grams green beans (trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces)
- 50 grams peanuts (crushed)
- 15 grams dried shrimp (optional)
- 7 grams cilantro (~1 plant leaves plucked)
Instructions
- Put the fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, garlic and palm sugar in a blender or small food processor. Puree the mixture. You can also mince the chiles and grate the garlic and whisk the dressing together.
- Peel the papaya and slice it in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the white seeds and pith from the center.
- Shred the papaya using a mandoline or a papaya shredder into a large bowl.
- Pound the green beans and dried shrimp with a mallet to tenderize.
- Add the green beans, dried shrimp, tomatoes, peanuts, and cilantro.
- Pour the dressing on top and toss to coat.
eng ting ting says
Many of us have papaya trees growing in our backyard, so it's an all time favourite that's so easy to rustle up.
cloudy says
i love this salad! when green papaya is difficult to find, broccoli stems make a surprisingly reasonable substitute!
Yogicfoodie says
My favorite salad... I have a plate sitting next to my comp. right now.
Yuko Nakazawa says
where did you get your green papaya? FYI i live in nyc.
Marc Matsumoto says
I got in at an Okinawan grocery store in Sapporo, but you should be able to find green papaya at any Chinese produce market in NYC. If that doesn't work, there's a Thai grocery store on Mosco Street that will definitely have it: https://www.bangkokcentergrocery.com
Sonam pelden says
One of my fav salad .... It goes well chicken fry ..... Yummy
Sonam pelden says
One of my fav salad .... It goes well chicken fry ..... Yummy
monica says
Thanks for the recipe Marc -- can you please tell me how to store the shredded green papaya? I've shredded mine already (am going to make the salad tomorrow), but I sometimes see it pre-shredded in our Asian grocery store in a liquid. Should I store mine in liquid? Do I need to add lime juice to keep it from turning dark? Thank you. Monica
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Monica, you could store it in water to keep the papaya from going limp, but the problem with this is that it's difficult to get all the water out when you're ready to make the salad, which will water down your dressing. As for changing color, I don't think green papaya will change colors like some fruit does, but if you're worried about it, just sprinkle some lime juice on it and toss to coat evenly the acid should prevent any oxidation from occurring.
Daniel says
Marc, I love your content. I would like to see your take on "Lao style" papaya. I always preferred the "Lao style" over the "Thai style", as I feel the favor is much more pronounced and more daring. "Thai Style" is too plain Jane in taste.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Daniel, Lao style papaya salad, has a lot more fermented seafood products like shrimp paste, and black crab paste which explains why it has more flavor. You can take this in that direction by substituting some of the fish sauce in this recipe with the shrimp paste and crab paste.
Daniel says
The shrimp paste and crab paste definitely does wonders. I was kind of skeptic about your take on this dish, as I grew up on the mortar and pestle. But this version does have its merits, in terms of the papaya being crisper (and fresher) and when I don't feel like getting out the mortar/pestle 😀
I also use tamarind (as seen below), where I make it into a wet paste to mix in with the papaya. Also, one whole salt crab too is thrown in for good measure. Just typing this up is making my mouth watery.
You need to go hurt down a good restaurant where they make good Lao papaya if you haven't that style already. I think it'll be hard for you to turn back when you had the Lao version.
For those who don't know, the picture I have here is what Lao style looks like. Thai style has what I called a "clean" look, while Lao style more "dirty" with the juices being darker due to the shrimp/crab paste.