Som Tum is loved throughout SE Asia in various forms, and we are pleased to present this detailed summary so you can bring it to your own kitchen. Somtum is a classic Thai dish, commonly associated with the NE (Isaan) area but served all over Thailand including a sidewalk shop found on our walking tour of good eats in Saochingcha area. Somtum is typically prepared three different ways but here we feature the classics and some innovative variations. It can be "Somtum Thai" which has peanuts mixed in, "Somtum Poo" which has small rice field crabs pounded in, or "Somtum Lao sai pla ra" which includes the juice of pickled mudfish. Som tum is eaten as a snack as a salad. We also offer a very simple pre-made som tum sauce that you can add to the papaya, for quick preparation. NEW: prepare it quickly with Som Tum Powder.
