Som tam began in Laos and in Isan, Thailand's northeast, where most people are ethnic Lao, and from there it conquered the whole country. The name says what happens: som means sour and tam means pounded. Unripe papaya is shredded into crunchy strands and bruised in a tall clay mortar with garlic, chilies, lime and fish sauce, so the dressing works its way into every shred. Isan is also home to the Buriram International Circuit, where Thailand's MotoGP round has been held since 2018, and it is hard to imagine a grandstand there without a plastic bag of som tam somewhere in it.

The version here is som tam Thai, the central Thai style that is a little sweeter and less fierce, with dried shrimp and peanuts. The Isan original is hotter, saltier and funkier, made with fermented fish sauce; we give it as a variation for the brave. Either way it is eaten with sticky rice and grilled chicken, a trio so settled it is practically a constitutional arrangement.

The salad

Ingredients

• 1 small green papaya
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 to 4 bird's eye chilies
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 1/4 cup (35 g) roasted unsalted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) palm sugar
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fish sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
• 4 oz (115 g) long beans
• 10 cherry tomatoes

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