Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)

In a large clay or stone mortar, add chilies and garlic. Pound with the pestle until broken down into a coarse paste — not smooth, but no large chunks. The breaking of the cells releases volatile compounds that make the salad fragrant and permeating. A wooden salad bowl and spoon cannot replicate this; the mortar is not optional.

Add long beans and cherry tomatoes to the mortar. Use the pestle to bruise them — press and lightly pound the tomatoes until they release juice, and crack the beans open slightly. Then use a large spoon to toss everything together. The mortar technique simultaneously bruises and dresses — the vegetables should crack open, not disintegrate.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be aggressively sour with a savory backbone and a subtle sweetness. This dressing ratio is a starting point; adjust to your preference before adding to the salad. In Thailand, som tam is adjusted to order at the mortar.

Add shredded papaya and dried shrimp to the mortar. Pour dressing over the top. Using both the pestle (lightly) and a large spoon, toss and bruise everything together for 1-2 minutes — simultaneously mixing and pressing to help the papaya absorb the dressing. Taste, adjust, and serve immediately alongside sticky rice.