Page 145 - เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเนเธ—เธข
P. 145
Somtum (Papaya Salad)
compiled by Prof. Sukanya Sutchaya
Somtum is a kind of green salad. Originally, Somtum was served with rice, cooked in
coconut milk called โ€Somtum with rice, cooked in coconut milkโ€ and was the food for people in
central Thailand. Later, people in northeastern Thailand adapted this food and made it popular
all over the country. Somtum with rice, cooked in coconut milk was the Royal Thai cuisine set,
especially coming from the Royal Thai family with Indian race, because cooking rice with coconut
milk originaled from India.
The history of Somtum with rice, cooked in coconut milk appeared in the cookbook,
Tam Rab Sai Yaovabha, written by Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid. The ingredients of Somtum with
rice, cooked in coconut milk are chopped papaya, ground dried shrimps, garlic, birdโ€s eye chillies
seasoned with tamarind squeeze, lime and fish sauce served with fresh vegetables, such as coral
leaves, star gooseberry leaves etc. or served with fried vegetables, such as fried leb-khrut leaves
and batter-fried flowers etc.
Somtum is called by the northeastern people as โ€Tam Bak Hungโ€ and by the northern
people as โ€Tam Somโ€. Chopped papayas, garlics, chillies are still its main ingredients, but seasonings
and methods of making Somtum are different at each place. For example, the northeastern
people like Somtum with fermented fish and ripe olives because the sweet and sour taste of
olives makes the taste less spicy and salty.
Nowadays, there are three popular types of Somtum. Firstly, Somtum with dried shrimps
and ground roasted peanuts gives sour, sweet and spicy flavours. Secondly, Somtum with salted
crab gives salty and spicy flavours. Finally, Somtum-Lao or Somtum with fermented fish gives salty
and spicy flavours. Additionally, there are new styles of Somtum, such as Somtum with blue crabs,
Somtum with salted eggs and Somtum with rice noodles (Tum Sua).
Because Somtum is a low-fat food, but high in fibres and several vitamins, it is a healthy
food which is very popular among the Thai people.
Somtum has been registered as Thai Cultural Heritage in 2012.
142 เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃเนเธ—เธข เธกเธฃเธ”เธเธ เธกเธน เธเธด เธเธฑ เธเธฒเธ—เธฒเธเธงเธฑเธ’เธเธเธฃเธฃเธก
Thai Food : Thai Cultural Heritage ๆณฐๅผๆ–็-ไผ ็ป้ฅฎ้ฃๆ–ๅ–้—ไบง
