Lao Papaya Salad | Thum Mak Hoong ຕຳໝາກຫຸ່ງ
What is Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong?
I consider Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong as an essential dish on all Lao food tables. The perfect bite is fresh sticky rice used to grab some papaya salad and bing gai grilled chicken. Thum mak hoong is usually funky, spicy, and aggressive in flavor. The pool of papaya salad juice is dark due to the crab paste, shrimp paste, and padaek. If you are lucky, there will be a Lao plum and salted whole crab pieces.
Why is Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong important in Laos?
If you ask any Lao family of food memories, they will always mention Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong. It is a fundamental piece of Lao food and helps show the flavor profiles. Papaya salad originated in Laos and other variations spread across Southeast Asia. It is lesser known in the United States because there was a huge expansion of other Southeast Asian foods. Thum mak hoong is now taking its place and shining a bright light on Lao food and the community.
What type of papaya should you use?
It is crucial you use only unripe papaya because thats where you get that extra crunch. Even a little ripening of the papaya will make it mushy and not good. The papaya you select should always be green and a press agains the surface of the papaya should be firm. Below is an example of a large amount of unripe papaya.
What makes the Lao papaya salad sauce different?
The Lao papaya salad sauce is very different from its other sibling salads. The sauce is darker, more pungent, and very spicy. The ingredients that make it different are: black crab paste, shrimp paste, padaek unfiltered fish sauce, salted whole crab, and Lao plum. There are some Lao papaya salad sauce available on the market if you live near a Southeast Asian market. If you are not lucky to live near a store that has it available, I suggest making your own sauce in a large amount.
Adjusting Lao Papaya Salad sauce to your taste
I don’t think there is one amazing recipe for Lao papaya salad because everyone’s taste buds are different. When you go to Laos, the cooks that make the salad will ask you if you want it more spicy, sweet, sour, or pungent. The best Lao papaya salad is up to you.
Other variations of Lao papaya salad is adding round eggplants, shredded carrots, vermicelli noodles, Lao meatballs, and long beans. Vegan and plant-based Lao papaya salad is possible. I use a fermented soy that tastes very close to fish sauce.
Is it safe to have Lao papaya salad sauce during pregnancy?
This is a common wive’s tale I heard growing up because Lao papaya salad is extra spicy. I am not a doctor so I suggest asking your doctor! The one hesitation is having unpasteurized padaek unfiltered fish sauce in your papaya salad because of how its prepared. If you love padaek and can’t live without it, I suggest boiling the padaek and that should kill any microorganism in the fermentation process.
Tips & Tricks in making the best Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong
It is the details that will make your Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong really delicious and also where you source your ingredients.
the best papaya is one that is hand cut so you will have strands of all textures
add the shredded papaya in an ice bath to give it that extra crunch
homemade padaek is always the best so make surer you ask the Lao mom or Lao auntie around town
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Thum Mak Hoong Lao Papaya Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the papaya: peel, wash, fuk, and set aside
- In a mortar and pestle, add pinch of salt, garlic, and peppers, then smash.
- Add the shrimp paste and crab paste
- then mix together
- Add the padaek, fish sauce, tamarind, sugar, crab sauce and mix.
- Add papaya to mortar
- Slice tomatoes in half and gently smash into sauce and add lime and mix.
- Mix and smash
