Papaya Pokpok or Som Tum is a famous dish in Thailand. Literally, in English, it means Papaya Salad. You can find it on many occasions too. There are a lot of restaurants offer this in their menu. You can also find it on the streets too and night market stall. Thai people can have this dish alone for lunch or dinner.
Green papaya is the main ingredients of this dish but green mango also can be a replacement instead of using green papaya. Both taste good and delicious. Either papaya or mango, the process, and the ingredients are all the same.
They added fermented fish in The Philippines it means "Bagoong". The spices are chili, tomatoes etc. It has peanuts, shrimps, and crabs. All together they mix it and hit it or "pokpok" in the Thai language.
I can't eat shrimp and crabs, so I told the vendor who makes my order not to add it. They can't understand in English so you must tell them in the Thai language. "Pi Kha, mai kin kong mai kin merk kha" it means "You don't eat shrimp and you don't eat seafood". The word "Pi" is like a respectable word to call on the elders and kha is always at the end of your sentence. "Kha" means you're polite.
This dish cost at least 60 - 80 baht in a famous restaurant or 30 - 40 baht in street vendor. Not expensive but it is delicious. When I ate it at first, I don't really like it but now I like it so much without chili.
This food is often served with Kanon Chin or noodles on the side and a plate of vegetables in a restaurant. But if you buy it on street vendors, no side dishes. Only a bowl of Papaya Pokpok or Som Tum. The vendor can understand it if you say Papaya Pokpok, Som Tum or Papaya Salad in English.
