Thai · salad

Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

Name: Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 cups shredded green papaya; 8 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 3 cloves garlic; 4 Thai chilies; 2 tbsp dried shrimp; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad) reads umami 6.1, funk & ferment 5.8 and salinity 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai salad, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.7 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 0.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 3.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.1 · Funk & Ferment 5.8 · Salinity 5.4 · Sourness 5.2 · Citrus 5.1 · Sweetness 5.0 · Marine & Briny 4.9 · Fruity 4.5 · Heat 3.9 · Allium 3.3 · Nutty 2.9 · Richness 1.8 · Floral 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Warm Spice 0.7 · Earthy 0.6

What's in it (10)

3 cups shredded green papaya
8 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
4 Thai chilies
2 tbsp dried shrimp
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp palm sugar
1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Time & effort: about 15 min · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 69.6 kcal, 2.7 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 14.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Pound garlic and chilies in a mortar, then add dried shrimp, palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice and muddle briefly.
Add green beans and tomatoes and bruise lightly, then toss in shredded papaya.
Mix well, taste for spicy-sour-sweet balance, and top with peanuts.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Yum Woon Sen (Glass Noodle Salad) — Thai
Pad Thai — Thai
Banh Trang Tron (Rice Paper Salad) — Vietnamese
Ikan Bakar (Malaysian Grilled Fish) — Malaysian
Goi Du Du (Green Papaya Salad) — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.