Back in Thailand......

Returned to LOS last week, after a short hiatus back home. The rain is making me feel less homesick though. Just a quick post, before i go and eat some delicious ส้มตำ. On the subejct of food, I'd thought it be helpful to post a typical menu you would see at a roadside restaurant, where there isn't always english translations accompanying the thai. Keeping on the subject of som tam menus, here's something fairly common to see when it comes to papaya salad menus:

ส้มตำไทย - Som Tam Thai - Thai green papaya salad. This has some variations on it according to where you buy it from, and doesn't usually contain crab or pickled fish unless you specifically ask for it. I find this the most appetizing som tam, containing papaya, nuts, sliced tomatoes, dried shrimp, sliced long beans, chillies, garlic and of course to get that sweet sour mix balanced right the correct amount of fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice.

ส้มตำปู- Som Tam Pu. This papaya salad contains much of the same ingredients, and is up to personal preference if both dried shrimp and crab are added.

ส้มตำไข่เค็ม - Som Tam Kai Khem. As the name suggests this is a more salty eggier( is that even a word?) salad.

ส้มตำปลาร้า- Som Tam Pliao. This is a very sour salad with more lime juice added than normally.

ส้มตำตำโคราช- Som Tam Korat. I'm never had this one myself, but having googled it i gather it's very much like som tam thai, and a nice mixture between saltiness and sourness. It's usually added with pickled fish and shrimp.

ส้มตำป่า - Som Tam Pla. Known for it's distinctive smell, this one with pickled fish is definitely an acquired taste.

Remember if you don't like spicy som tam to order: ไม่เผ็ดนะคร้บ/ไม่เผ็ดนะค่ะ่