Som tam (ส้มตำ) is a pounded salad often made with green papaya. It can combine sour, salty, sweet and spicy elements, but the balance and ingredients change between shops and named variations. A visitor should not treat “som tam” as one fixed recipe, and a restaurant should not use a general food article as the ingredient list for its own dish.
Green papaya and a sample recipe
Thailand Foundation's som tam example includes green papaya, chili, garlic, tomato, long beans, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp. That example helps explain the dish, but it does not prove each ingredient is present in every plate. Some items may be mixed into the salad while others are added as toppings. A shop should record exactly what its kitchen uses and where those ingredients appear in the preparation.
Thai-style and pla ra variations
Names such as som tam Thai and som tam pla ra help distinguish preparations, but still leave questions about the full recipe. Pla ra is fermented fish; if the shop adds it, the menu should say so. Other additions such as crab, dried shrimp or peanuts must be confirmed separately. A title that mentions pla ra does not tell a customer whether those other ingredients are present or absent.
Heat and allergies need a direct answer
Chili can be pounded into the dressing, so its quantity may be difficult to change after preparation. Ask what level the kitchen can make before the dish is started; do not promise that a named variation is always mild or extremely hot. Peanut, dried shrimp, fish sauce and fermented fish are examples of ingredients some diners may need to avoid. Removing visible peanuts or choosing a “vegetarian” label does not prove the dressing or shared equipment is free from an allergen. Staff need to check the current recipe, labels and handling for a specific order.
Write the variation that is actually served
A useful menu distinguishes the shop's real som tam versions, describes key ingredients and states whether chili can be adjusted. Show the portion and price used by this shop, not a national price estimate. If a photo contains crab or another addition, it should match the named item and the normal serving. When ingredients change, review the Thai, English and Chinese descriptions together. For another salad family, read the reviewed Thai salad guide; not every Thai salad is a papaya salad.