Som Tam Professional

This is P'Aeow. She is the leader of the girls' side of the dorm. Today she taught me how to make Som Tam, a spicy Thai salad made from green papaya. You start by mashing up Thai chilies and garlic with a mortar and pestle. Then you add some sugar, salt, fish sauce, lime juice and grated green papaya. Usually carrot and or tomato slices are added too. You keep crushing it all together to blend the flavors and add a dash of this or that as needed. The final ingredients are roasted peanuts and dried shrimp. (I usually order mine without the dried shrimp.) A finished dish of Som Tam is on the right and some aged fish juice which is added to some special Som Tam dishes is on the left.

I've made it before on my own, but it was good to learn to make it from someone who knows what they are doing, and was willing to explain.

Delicious, bold flavor! :)