You may have heard of the tropical fruit called papaya; it is a long slightly oval-shaped fruit that is normally orange on the inside with big black seeds running down the center. Although that is the most popular papaya, in many cultures, especially Thai, a green papaya is used instead.
A green papaya is actually just a normal papaya except it isn’t yet ripe! The green color on the outside on the fruit and the white inside indicate that it’s not ripe, but still very delicious and edible. The taste is that of something between a cucumber and a jicama; very light and crispy. The green papaya is normally used for a Thai salad called som tam. If you want to try a new refreshing salad, follow this recipe and be prepared for something wonderful.
- Peel and deseed the papaya. Shred it with a cheese grater.
- Put as many Thai chilis as you like in a mortar and pestle with garlic and grind.
- Add palm sugar, fish sauce, and lemon juice to the mortar.
- Add in a handful of peanuts and crush.
- You can also put in dried shrimp if you’d like and tomatoes.
- Pour it onto the papaya and enjoy!
