Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

By Phayvanh Inthisane and Mani Phongsavath from BI Farm

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 tsp shiitake mushroom seasoning (Bot not chai dong co)

1 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 clove garlic

4 Thai chiles, stem removed

1 Tbsp palm sugar

1/2 each lime, cut in thirds

1 lb (about 1 each) green papaya, rinsed thoroughly and peeled

2 each roma tomatoes, chopped

4 each long beans, chopped

Directions

To truly do this dish justice it is best to make it using a large mortar and pestle.

To the mortar, add the mushroom seasoning, fish sauce, garlic, chiles, and palm sugar and pound with the pestle into a slightly chunky puree.

Add the lime and pound lightly to extract the juice.

Slice the papaya into long spaghetti-like strands using a spiralizer, mandoline, Thai julienne peeler, or knife. (Discard the papaya seeds or make papaya seed salad dressing for another use.)

Add the sliced papaya, tomatoes, and long beans to the mortar and continue lightly pounding and mixing, until all ingredients are combined.

Serve fresh for best result.

Recipe edited by Sarah Burchard