Tam Sua at Aroy Thai [Pic]

Tam sùa is a unique variation of sômtam, or "papaya salad," from Northeastern Thailand.*


tam sùa

For the preparation of this dish, rice vermicelli noodles (khanõm jiin) are combined in a mortar with shredded green papaya, fresh chile, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, tomatoes, green beans, and pickled crab. The result provides an exciting array of cool and refreshing flavours, making it one of my favourite snacks on a hot summer day.

Aroy Thai
4656 N. Damen
773.275.8360

E.M.

Keywords: Isaan, puu, sua.

* This item is only available at Aroy Thai by special request.

Pasta primavera! Is there any difference in taste (other than the softness of the vermicelli) between this and a traditional samtam?

Dave Feldman wrote:Is there any difference in taste (other than the softness of the vermicelli) between this and a traditional samtam?

With the exception of the rice vermicelli noodles, the ingredients for this dish are the same ones required for a basic sômtam puu (papaya salad with pickled crab). But, as anyone with as much exposure to Thai food as you already knows, Dave, with any proper sômtam there is a nearly infinite amount of customization which can be done to suit the diner's individual tastes.

The dish pictured above is the default service option at Aroy Thai, which I specifically ordered to facilitate this brief post. I generally prefer my sômtam to be quite hot and sour, so I am sure to ask for it that way. And, left to my own devices, I very often ask for the inclusion of plaa ráa (unrefined fish sauce) and/or má-nao chín (pieces of lime).

E.M.