There are many preparation methods throughout the continent, from stir-frying to boiling, but no other iconic dish besides som tam is prepared with a mortar and pestle. This fruit salad is a mix of unripe julienned papaya and a cornucopia of complementary ingredients: sugar, lime, chilis, fish sauce, garlic, dried shrimp, tomato, among others. When mashed together in the mortar, it produces a dish not sweet like you might expect, but sour, spicy and savoury in equal measure. Local variations add in everything from peanuts to crab, but in Bangkok you’ll find the spiciest versions, which can be as challenging to eat as they are delicious.
