Tam Mak Hoong (Lao Papaya Salad)
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The Tale of Tam Mak Hoong (Lao Papaya Salad)
Story updated
Tam mak hoong, Lao green papaya salad, is closely related to Thailand's som tam, and the two dishes share deep roots in the broader Lao-Isan cultural region straddling the Mekong. Pounded with chile, lime, fish sauce, and often fermented crab or fish paste, it reflects a shared culinary heritage that predates the modern Thai-Lao border.
Ingredients
Scale:· 4 servings
- 3 cups shredded green papaya
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-5 Thai chilies
- 2 tbsp padaek (fermented fish sauce) or fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
- Sticky rice, for serving
Instructions
- 1Pound garlic and chilies together in a mortar and pestle until crushed.
- 2Add cherry tomatoes and dried shrimp and lightly bruise with the pestle to release their juices.
- 3Add padaek, lime juice, and palm sugar, pounding briefly to combine and dissolve the sugar.
- 4Add the shredded green papaya and pound and toss with a spoon until well coated and slightly bruised.
- 5Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and spicy as needed.
- 6Top with crushed peanuts and serve with sticky rice.
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