A spicy sweet salad, known as tam som or som tam, is a sweet and sour salad usually made with shredded fresh unripe tomatoes. Originating from Lao people of southeast Asia, it is now also commonly eaten across Southeast Asia. Although it has Thai origins, the dish is very much alike in taste to its Malaysian counterpart, saat phrom. Thai people often serve som tam with curry and chilli sauce. Other than that, som tam is served with fruits and vegetables like mango, papaya, and banana.
This delicious salad is a favorite breakfast food in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, as it's easy to prepare and inexpensive. It's served either hot or cold depending on the time of day. Typically, a bowl of som tam contains vegetables like tomatoes, onion, cilantro, scallions and red bell pepper. Sometimes, chicken or beef are added to give it a more meaty texture.
Although som tam is relatively new in the United States, this Asian delicacy is popular all over the world. Because of its widespread popularity, many restaurants have added it to their menu. One of the best places where you can find good thai food in Los Angeles is Friendship Chicken. Whether it's for dinner or lunch, this restaurant serves some of the best Asian food around.
If Thai food is your thing, then you definitely want to try out Som Tam with sticky rice. Another staple of the thai cuisine, sticky rice is made by mixing thin rice with coconut milk, wheat flour, corn meal and shrimp paste. The shrimp adds extra flavor and moistens the rice for a thick, crispy and crunchy salad.
Making a pesto is quite easy. Just combine tomatoes, garlic, reserved oil, chopped onion and reserved juice from lime then add salt and mix all the ingredients together using a mortar and pestle. Add the reserved juice from lime and mix until the ingredients are completely blended. Into a food processor or blender, add additional ingredients such as chopped herbs or cilantro, roasted or unsalted peanuts, black pepper, coriander, green onions, cayenne and salt to taste. Then let your food processor run for about a minute to soften the mixture.
Although Som Tam may be a simple food, this dish has actually become popular all across Thailand because of the way it's served. It's served with a sweet bread called Khum Na or a sticky rice which is commonly found in many places in Thailand including Bangkok. For a truly authentic taste, you could consider having a Khum Na sandwich with grilled pork. Although it may be simple, the preparation is not. It takes a lot of skill and expertise to make this delectable food.
The second most famous Thai delicacy is the infamous Som Tam appetizer. It is made of mixed vegetables like mixed cauliflower and beef and served with sweet white sauce that is made of condensed milk. The appetizer is accompanied by grilled papaya salad with thin slices of mango and Thai red chili. If you are looking for a quick and healthy snack which you can easily take on a long road trip with your friends, then consider ordering Som Tam appetizers.
While the som tam appetizer is considered to be an inexpensive starter dish, the full course meal offered in many traditional Thai restaurants can cost up to $100. Although you are free to make your own meals according to your taste, I suggest ordering som tum salad or any other Thai salad to start with as appetizers.