Food has always been a huge part of how we travel. We’re proper foodies and always have been. Trying local dishes, wandering food markets, and eating in neighbourhood restaurants is one of the main ways we discover new places. I’ve also always loved to cook, so for me it’s never just about eating the food, it’s about understanding the ingredients, the flavours, and the traditions behind it all.

Since leaving the UK in 2021, we’ve spent time travelling through Europe and Southeast Asia, learning about the dishes that define each place. This recipe series is my way of sharing some of those flavours with you. Simple, adaptable recipes inspired by the foods we’ve eaten, loved, and learned along the way.

What Is Som Tam?

Som tam is a classic Thai salad that originates from Isaan, in north-eastern Thailand. Traditionally made using shredded green (unripe) papaya, it’s pounded together with garlic, chillies, lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar to create that iconic balance of flavours Thai food does so well.

There are lots of variations depending on region and personal taste. Some versions include dried shrimp, fermented fish sauce, salted crab or peanuts, but this recipe is a simple, widely loved version that’s easy to recreate at home.

One of the first places we properly learned how to cook classic Thai dishes was at Ya’s Thai Cookery School in Ao Nang, a much-loved cooking school that’s even taught Gordon Ramsay how to master Thai staples. If it’s good enough for him, it’s definitely good enough for us.

The class starts with a walkthrough of essential Thai ingredients before moving straight into hands-on cooking. You prepare everything yourself, from spring rolls and stir-fries to rich curries, including pounding curry paste the traditional way using a mortar and pestle. After all that effort, you sit down to enjoy a huge homemade feast, and anything you don’t finish is packed up to take away. You also leave with a recipe book, so you can recreate the dishes back home.

If you’re visiting Ao Nang, this class is one of our absolute must-dos. We’ve shared more details in our Ao Nang mini guide.

🎟️ You can book your class at Ya’s Cookery School here

---

Som Tam Recipe

There are lots of variations depending on region and personal taste. Some versions include dried shrimp, fermented fish sauce, salted crab or peanuts, but this recipe is a classic version that’s easy to recreate at home.

Ingredients (Serves 2 as a side)

• 1–1½ cups shredded green papaya
• 1–2 cloves garlic
• 1–3 Thai chillies (adjust to taste)
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• 1½ tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1–2 tsp palm sugar
• 6–8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1–2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• Long beans, cut into short pieces (optional)

Ingredient Swaps (If You’re Cooking Outside Thailand)

Green papaya can be tricky to find in the UK and Europe, so here’s a swap I’ve used many times at home:

No green papaya? Use cucumber

• Peel the cucumber
• Scoop out the seeds
• Pat dry with kitchen paper
• Shred finely

It won’t be exactly the same, but it gives a very similar crunch and fresh texture and works brilliantly.

You can also:

• Swap palm sugar for soft brown sugar
• Reduce fish sauce slightly, or if you’re vegetarian remove completely and add a pinch of salt as a replacement
• Use mild chillies if you don’t want it crazy spicy

How to Make Som Tam

Traditionally, som tam is made using a Thai mortar and pestle, which gently bruises the ingredients rather than fully crushing them. You can use a large bowl and the end of a rolling pin to achieve a similar result.

1. Add garlic and chillies to the mortar and gently pound until broken down
2. Add palm sugar and mix until dissolved
3. Add lime juice and fish sauce, stirring to combine
4. Add shredded papaya (or cucumber), tomatoes and long beans
5. Gently pound and toss everything together so it absorbs the dressing
6. Finish with roasted peanuts on top
7. Taste and adjust — more lime, more fish sauce, or more chilli if needed

The key here is balance. Som tam should be bold but refreshing, never heavy.

Handy Tool Recommendation

If you plan on making this (and similar salads) more than once, a Thai-style shredding tool is such a useful little kitchen addition. It’s traditionally used for papaya but also works perfectly for carrots, cucumber, courgette and more. OXO makes this one and is £7.00. Not bulky, just chuck it in a drawer and handy for coleslaws and other fun salads.

---

How to Serve It

Som tam is usually served as a side dish, and it pairs beautifully with:

• Grilled chicken or pork
• Fried rice
• Sticky rice
• Thai curries
• BBQ dishes

In Thailand, it’s often shared in the middle of the table, and I love keeping that same spirit at home.

---

What Should We Cook Next?

If you’ve enjoyed this first recipe from our Recipes From Around the World series, there’s plenty more where this came from. Thai food has such an incredible balance of flavours, and we’d love to share more of the dishes we’ve fallen in love with over the years.

If you fancy seeing recipes for pad kra pao, green curry, massaman, tom yum, or even some simple Thai-style stir-fries you can easily recreate at home, let us know. We’ll be sharing recipes that feel authentic but achievable, with handy swaps for ingredients that can be tricky to find outside Thailand.

And if food, travel, and everyday life abroad are your thing, make sure you subscribe to the blog for regular travel guides, restaurant recommendations, recipes, and lifestyle content from around the world. These days, most of our inspiration comes from Thailand, where we’re currently living, but our love for good food and meaningful travel goes wherever we do.

Sending sunshine from Koh Samui,