Tam

To go a day without eating Tam is almost a challenge in its own right when traveling in Laos. Always paired with sticky rice, this is literally the staple of the Laotian diet.

Made with a variety of fruits, the most common way to have it is with wonderfully crispy shredded green (unripe) papaya, known as tam makhoong.

Each ingredient is either pounded, sliced, or shredded, but they are all raw, and go one by one into a massive pestle. The pounding of the mortar, the ‘Tam’ action, is what gives this dish its name.

To talk about Tam MakHoong as ‘Papaya salad’ though, won’t quite prepare you for what you’ll get when you order a great version. Pa Daek, that dearly loved fermented fish sauce addition in nearly every part of Laos local cuisine, shows its presence nowhere more than in this dish.

MakHoong means Papaya, but you can order it with any fruit or vegetable you see around you. Try pointing to something, say the word ‘Tam,’ (sounds like ‘Thumb’) and wait to see if the chef starts to reach for another handful of fresh chilis.

The word ‘Umami’ was invented to describe this next plate

Using what you see around you would be simply following what Laos people have done for centuries – trying out anything that grows as something for fermented fish juices and mashed chilis to grab onto, and thoroughly soak with flavor.

TAM MAK HOONG – LAOS GREEN PAPAYA SALAD

Another impressive version that will blow your taste buds is tam makkluay, a green banana pounded mixture.

It took me a minute to even begin to put into words the feelings that were coursing through my taste-buds while eating this.

If you can imagine every flavor center of the tongue being pushed to maximum stimulation, that would be the same feeling it will give you. It was insanely sour, while also fully bitter amidst blazing chili heat, while also just umami in the extreme – this dish has it all.

This article gives a great briefing before any Laos food experience. I was even more appreciative after reading it, and I was definitely hungry!

Where to go: Som Tam LuangPrabang in Vientiane

TAM MAK KLUAY – GREEN BANANA SALAD