Thai salads

Salads that are internationally known asThai saladswith a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. InThai cuisinethese are calledyam, tam, lapandphla. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad.
Thaisaladsoften do not have raw vegetables or fruit as their main ingredient but use mincedmeat,seafood, ornoodlesinstead. Similar to salads in the West, these dishes often have a souring agent, usually lime juice, and feature the addition of fresh herbs and other greens in their preparation. Thai salads are not served as entrées but are normally eaten as one of the main dishes in a Thai buffet-style meal, together withrice(depending on the region, this can beglutinous riceor non-glutinous rice) or the Thai rice noodle calledkhanom chin. Specialisedkhao tom kui(plain ricecongee) restaurants also serve a wide variety of Thai salads of theyamtype as side dishes. Many Thai salads, for instance, the famoussom tam, are also eaten as a meal or snack on their own.
Yam(ยำ,Thai pronunciation:[jām]) literally means "mix," but in Thai cuisine, it usually refers to a type of salad-like dishes in the culinary repertoire ofThailand.Yamcan be made with a wide variety of ingredients as its main ingredient. Nearly any type ofprotein,vegetable,fruit,herb,spice, andnoodle, or combinations thereof, is possible. The main ingredient can be raw, pickled, fermented, sun-dried, smoked, steamed, parboiled, boiled, grilled, baked, stir-fried, deep-fried, or combinations. Besides the main ingredient, the basic recipe of ayamwill nearly always contain sliced freshshallotsoronions,fish sauce,lime juice,sugar, and fresh or driedchillies. When herbs are used, it is usuallyChinese celery, sometimes in combination with other fresh herbs such asspearmint,coriander leaves,spring onionsandculantro.Very often, sliced tomatoes are also added in, or finely sliced fresh spices such aslemongrass,ginger,galangal, orkhamin khao(lit. "white turmeric").
Examples ofyamstyle salads areyam nuea yangwith sliced grilled beef,yam khai daowith fried egg,yam talewith mixed seafood,yammu yowith a pork sausage resemblingliverwurst, oryam wunsenwithglass noodles. Some yam salads can use only herbs, spices, and nuts as their main ingredient, such asyam takhrai met mamuang himaphanwith sliced lemongrass and cashew nuts, or with stir-fried vegetables, such aswater mimosainyam phak krachet. Depending on the salad, anything from crispy fried onions, crunchy nuts, or seeds to toasted coconut flakes can also be added to the mix to enhance the flavours, colours and textures. Also, in manyyamsalads where the main ingredient is not meat, cooked minced pork can be added for extra savoryness, as often happens inyam wunsen(glass noodlesalad). After one look at the menu of akhao tom kui(plain ricecongee) restaurant, it is clear that nearly any ingredient that one can imagine can be used to make ayam-style salad. To name a few:yam khai khem(salted duck eggs),yam kung chiang(dryChinese sweet pork sausage),yam mu krop(Chinese crispy pork), andyam phak kat dong(Chinese pickled cabbage). Theseyamthat are eaten with plain rice congee tend to remain more simple in their preparation, containing only the basic "dressing" of lime juice, raw onion or shallot, chillies, sugar, and fish sauce in addition to the main ingredient, with only some celery added where needed.
A few types ofyamneed special mention as they differ somewhat from the basic recipe as mentioned above:
The most famous, and for many also the original,tam(ตำ,pronounced[tām]), lit. "pounded") style salad issom tam, made from unripepapaya. The basic dressing for asom tam-style salad containsgarlic,palm sugar, lime juice,bird's-eye chillies,dried shrimpand fish sauce. This dressing is slightly pounded and mixed inside anearthenwaremortarusing a wooden pestle. With certain kinds oftam, some or all of the additional ingredients will be pounded slightly if this helps release the flavours. Though with dishes such astam phonla mai(fruit) ortam mu yo(a sausage similar to liverwurst), the main ingredients are mixed in with the dressing. Many types oftamsalads will also contain (sliced) tomatoes.
Northern Thaitamare quite different altogether. Most of these dishes do not use lime, tamarind juice, or vinegar in their dressing, thereby lacking the sour element seen in many salads.Tam makhueais made from mashed grilled eggplant, grilled shallots and garlic, roasted chillies, fish, andshrimp pasteand served with mint and boiled egg. It is somewhat similar to othereggplant saladsfrom around the world, such asbaba ghanoush. Further removed from what would still be viewed as a salad in the West is the northern Thaitam khanun, made with a mashed boiled whole babyjackfruit, dried chillies, minced pork stir-fried with a chilli paste,cherry tomatoes, freshkaffir limeleaves, and coriander leaves.Another traditional salad from northern Thailand istam khai mot daeng, made with the eggs of thered ant.Phak phai(Vietnamese mint) is one of the more unusual herbs used in this salad.Atamstyle salad from northern Thailand that is also famous in the rest of Thailand, istam som-o(pomelosalad), in which the slightly pounded flesh of a pomelo is mixed with garlic, sliced lemongrass, and a thick pungent black paste (nam pu) made from boiling down the juices and meat ofrice-paddy crabs.
Laporlarb(ลาบ,pronounced[lâːp]) is one of the internationally most well-known salads fromLaos. The spicy, sweet, and very tart style oflapfrom Laos and northeastern Thailand is made with a dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, ground dried chillies, sugar, and, very importantly,khao khua, ground dry roastedglutinous ricewhich gives this salad its specific nutty flavour. Coriander leaves and chopped spring onions finish off the dish.Lapis most commonly made with minced pork or minced chicken, but in Thailand,lap pla, with fish, is also popular.Nam tokis a derivative oflapwhere the meat is sliced and not minced.
Northern Thailapis a very different type of dish. As with the northern Thaitam, no souring agent is used in these dishes. Especially the versions using stir-fried minced meat (lap khua) more resemble a "normal" meat dish than a salad; but, as with salads, different ingredients, includingfresh herbsandspices, are freshly mixed to form the dish. Other versions of this northern Thai speciality use raw meat or fish.
Phla(พล่า,pronounced[pʰlâː]) style salads can be made with a variety of proteins but not thoroughly cooked (rare to medium). Popularly used are pork (phla mu), prawns (phla kung) or beef (phla nuea). The basic dressing is very much the same as ayambut with a difference. In addition to the fish sauce, lime juice, chillies, and shallots or onions, aphlastyle salad will also always contain large amounts of thinly sliced lemongrass and mint. Additional fresh herbs, such as coriander leaves, can also be added to the mix. Some versions are made with grilled pork or beef,other versions will also havenam phrikphao, a sweet roasted chilli paste mixed in with the dressing. This last version is popular withsquid(phla pla muek) and with prawns.
The following dishes can also be regarded as salads:
Although not a salad as it doesn't involve mixing ingredients into a specific dish, the Thai tradition of serving a selection of fresh and boiled greens (often vegetables but also raw tree leaves, steamed mushrooms, or cooked pumpkin) together with a saucer or bowl ofnam phrik(Thai chilli paste), fits one of the typical characteristics of a salad, being cold vegetables with a "sauce" as an accompaniment to a meal.