Som Tam

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyFishFish sauce in every version; fermented fish (pla ra) in Isan and Lao styles.
• UsuallyCrustaceansDried shrimp in som tam thai; salted raw crab in som tam pu.
• UsuallyPeanutsRoasted peanuts pounded into som tam thai, the default in Bangkok and abroad.
• SometimesMolluscsSome stalls offer versions with salted shellfish or seafood.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not vegetarian as standard: fish sauce is the backbone of the dressing.
• Usually gluten-free by recipe, but confirm nothing else goes in the mortar.
• Every version is pounded in the same mortar, so peanuts and crab carry over between orders.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is som tam?

Som tam is a salad of shredded unripe papaya bruised in a clay or wooden mortar with chilli, garlic, lime, palm sugar and fish sauce. It comes from Isan, the northeast of Thailand, and neighbouring Laos, and it's eaten everywhere in Thailand with sticky rice and grilled chicken. The name means roughly "pounded sour".

What's in it

• Green papaya, cut into thin strands
• Bird's eye chilli, garlic, cherry tomatoes and snake (yard-long) beans
• Dressing: lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce

The extras define the version:

• Som tam thai: sweeter, with dried shrimp and roasted peanuts. The usual choice in Bangkok and at Thai restaurants abroad.
• Som tam pu: with salted, fermented raw crab.
• Som tam pla ra (tam lao): saltier and funkier, with pla ra, a thick fermented fish sauce. Usually no peanuts.
• Tam sua: papaya salad mixed with rice noodles.

Allergens and diets

Fish is the one constant: fish sauce dresses every version, and the Isan and Lao styles add pla ra on top. Crustaceans are in most versions too, as dried shrimp in som tam thai and as whole salted crab in som tam pu.

Peanuts are standard in som tam thai and are pounded right into the salad, not just scattered on top. Picking them out doesn't help. The bigger hidden risk is the mortar. Vendors make every order in the same krok and rarely wash it between customers, so a peanut-free or crab-free version can still pick up traces from the one before it. If your allergy is severe, treat that as likely cross-contact and confirm with the vendor.

The recipe has no wheat, but cooks vary their seasonings, so coeliac (celiac) diners should ask what goes in besides fish sauce. A vegetarian version needs the fish sauce swapped out, which street stalls often can't do.

On the menu

Heat is set by the number of chillies you ask for. เผ็ดน้อย (phet noi) means a little spicy, and even that is hot by most standards.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.