154 | Culture Ways of Life and Wisdom
Nowadays, the most famous and widespread Somtum recipe
is called “Tum Bak Hung,” or known as “Tumsom” in the Northern
region. Stronger taste is the highlight of this recipe. The main raw
materials of Somtum comprise shredded papaya, garlic, and chilli.
But some other ingredients are added depending on local preferences.
For examples, Isan people like Somtum Plara with ripe spondias
pinnata (as the sweet and sour taste of spondias pinnata helps
dilute spiciness and salty of the Somtum). For Amphawa people in
Samut Songkhram province, they usually mix raw Indian mulberry,
raw banana, steamed Mackerel (Pla-too), chilli, shallot, lime juice,
fish sauce, and palm sugar together in their Som tum and then add
slices of unpeeled lime. Normally, Amphawa people eat Somtum with
young star gooseberry leaves and jackfruit leaves.
Today, there are three kinds of well-known Somtum. Somtum
Thai is mixed with dried shrimp and roasted peanuts with sour, sweet
and spicy tastes. Somtum Poo is mixed with salted crab or preserved
crab (Poo kem), has salty and spicy flavor. Somtum Lao or Somtum
Plara is mixed with fermented fish sauce, has salty and spicy taste.
Besides, there are newly varied type of Somtum such as Somtum
Pooma (Somtum with blue crab), Somtum Khaikhem (Somtum with
salted egg), and Tumsua which is Somtum mixed with Khanom Chin
(fresh soft rice noodles).
• Tumsua
• Somtum Pooma • Somtum Poo