Thai papaya salad too spicy? Try the Vietnamese one!

When it comes to spicy food, I go through phases. One moment, nothing can be spicy enough for me; the next, I start sweating at the sight of a jar of sambal. Except when it comes to the Thai papaya salad Som tam. I always find that one too spicy.

I don’t know what causes it—perhaps the expectation of eating something fresh and fruity, only to taste that intense spiciness. In any case, it once resulted in me rinsing my home-delivered Som tam under the tap in the hope of washing away some of the heat. It worked, but the rest of the flavor had disappeared down the drain too.

Fresh, sweet and top-notch

Since then, I simply stopped ordering it. Until I found myself with it in front of me again, but this time not the Thai version, but the Vietnamese one, Gỏi đu đủ. And I can tell you: it’s top-notch. Deliciously fresh, slightly sweet, and with a lovely crunch from the crushed peanuts sprinkled on top.

Not surprising, either: if you compare the recipes, you’ll see that Thai Som tam contains five chilies, while the Vietnamese version contains just one—and even that one is optional. You can do the math. Although, if you make it yourself, you can of course simply reduce the number of chilies in the Thai papaya salad.

Ordering

Ordering it? The one from Saigon Caphe is irresistible, and at Bo Nam you get a mega portion (see photo) with delicious Vietnamese rice crackers. Both restaurants are in Amsterdam, but if you ask your local Vietnamese restaurant for Gỏi đu đủ, they’ll surely be happy to oblige.