Thai Salad
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Salads that are internationally known as Thai salads with a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. In
Thai cuisine Thai cuisine (, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with aromatics and spicy heat. The Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David Thompson, an expert on Thai food, observes that ...
these are called ''yam, tam, lap'' and ''phla''. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad.


Overview

Thai
salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments called '' salad dressings'', which exist in a variety of flavors, a ...
s often do not have raw vegetables or fruit as their main ingredient but use minced
meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...
,
seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...
, or
noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...
s instead. 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 with
rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
(depending on the region, this can be
glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...
or non-glutinous rice) or the Thai rice noodle called '' khanom chin''. Specialised ''khao tom kui'' (plain rice
congee Congee ( , derived from Tamil language, Tamil ), is a form of savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice–water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal ...
) restaurants also serve a wide variety of Thai salads of the ''yam'' type as side dishes. Many Thai salads, for instance, the famous ''
som tam Green papaya salad is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. Originating in Laos, it is a national dish and a cornerstone of Lao cuisine, known locally as ''tam som'' or ''tam mak hoong''. The dish exemplifies bold, vibrant flavors, ...
'', are also eaten as a meal or snack on their own.


Varieties


Yam

''Yam'' (, ) literally means "mix," but in Thai cuisine, it usually refers to a type of salad-like dishes in the culinary repertoire of
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. ''Yam'' can be made with a wide variety of ingredients as its main ingredient. Nearly any type of
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
,
vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...
,
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
,
herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...
,
spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
, and
noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...
, 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 a ''yam'' will nearly always contain sliced fresh
shallot The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was t ...
s or
onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...
s,
fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...
, lime juice,
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
, and fresh or dried
chillies Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...
. When herbs are used, it is usually Chinese celery, sometimes in combination with other fresh herbs such as
spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...
, coriander leaves, spring onions and culantro. Very often, sliced tomatoes are also added in, or finely sliced fresh spices such as
lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, oily heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...
,
ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...
,
galangal Galangal () is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus ''Alpinia'', and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor. Greater gal ...
, or '' khamin khao'' (). Examples of ''yam'' style salads are ''yam nuea yang'' with sliced grilled beef, ''yam khai dao'' with fried egg, ''yam tale'' with mixed seafood, ''yam mu yo'' with a pork sausage resembling
liverwurst Liverwurst, leberwurst, or liver sausage is a kind of sausage made from liver (food), liver. It is eaten throughout Europe, as well as North and South America, notably in Argentina and Chile. Some liverwurst varieties are spreadable. Liverwurst ...
, or ''yam wunsen'' with
glass noodles Glass noodles, or fensi (), sometimes called cellophane noodles, are a type of transparent noodle made from starch (such as mung bean starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or canna starch) and water. They originated in China. A s ...
. Some yam salads can use only herbs, spices, and nuts as their main ingredient, such as ''yam takhrai met mamuang himaphan'' with sliced lemongrass and cashew nuts, or with stir-fried vegetables, such as water mimosa in ''yam 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 many ''yam'' salads where the main ingredient is not meat, cooked minced pork can be added for extra savoryness, as often happens in ''yam wunsen'' ( glass noodle salad). After one look at the menu of a ''khao tom kui'' (plain rice
congee Congee ( , derived from Tamil language, Tamil ), is a form of savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice–water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal ...
) restaurant, it is clear that nearly any ingredient that one can imagine can be used to make a ''yam-''style salad. To name a few: ''yam khai khem'' (
salted duck egg A salted duck egg is an East Asian preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal. In Asian supermarkets across the Western world, these eggs are sometimes sold covered in a thick layer of ...
s), ''yam kung chiang'' (dry Chinese sweet pork sausage), ''yam mu krop'' ( Chinese crispy pork), and ''yam phak kat dong'' ( Chinese pickled cabbage). These ''yam'' that 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 of ''yam'' need special mention as they differ somewhat from the basic recipe as mentioned above: *'' Yam naem khao thot'' (also known as ''naem khluk'') is a salad made from crushed, deep-fried ball-shaped
croquette A croquette (; ) is a deep-fried roll originating in French cuisine, consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is then breaded. It is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide. The binder is typically a thick b ...
s made from sticky rice and curry paste as the main ingredient, tossed together with shredded fermented pork sausage, mixed with peanuts, crushed dried chilies, lime juice, sliced shallots, and fresh herbs, and served with a selection of fresh greens and additional herbs on the side. *''Yam thawai'' is an elaborate salad made with chicken and a wide selection of vegetables, such as banana flowers, eggplant, string beans, bamboo shoots, and
bean sprouts Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth. In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...
, blanched briefly in coconut milk, and then served together with a creamy
curry Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...
-like dressing. *''Yam pla duk fu'' or ''pla duk fu yam mamuang'' is deep-fried flaked
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
meat served with a dressing made with thinly sliced unripe mango, shallots, chillies, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. * ''Yam kung ten'' or just ''kung ten'' is a salad made with tiny translucent freshwater shrimp. The novelty of this dish is that a spicy lime dressing is first placed at the bottom of a bowl, which is then filled to the brim with the live shrimp and closed off with a lid when the lid is opened by an unsuspecting dinner guest, some of the small wriggling shrimp jump out of the bowl. ''Kung ten'' literally means "dancing shrimp". Shaking the bowl mixes the live shrimp with the sour dressing, which kills them. * Northern Thai ''yam'' do not follow the usual Thai ''yam'' dressing in that they tend not to be sour. Many are soup-like in appearance and resemble cold vegetable, meat, or fish stews. They are made similarly to a salad, combining the separate (cold) ingredients into one dish with fresh herbs. A sauce made from boiled, fermented fish is often used as a flavouring. * ''Yam som o'', a ''yam'' made with
pomelo The pomelo ( ; or pummelo, ''Citrus maxima''), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fr ...
, can utilise a different dressing altogether than a standard ''yam''. As the pomelo, a
citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...
fruit is already naturally tart, the dressing can be sweet and/or creamy. It is, therefore, that recipes often make use of
palm sugar Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar may be qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed simila ...
,
tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...
, and coconut milk to complement the taste of the pomelo. * ''Yam salat'' is commonly used to denote
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
salads in Thai, usually to refer to salads that use
mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...
in the dressing. *''Yam maeng da'' is made from grilled
horseshoe crab Horseshoe crabs are arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only surviving xiphosurans. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or even crustaceans; they are chelicerates, more closely related to arachnids like spiders, ticks, and scor ...
and only the eggs are eaten. It has a nutty and strong fishy taste.


Tam

The most famous, and for many also the original, ''tam'' (, ), lit. "pounded") style salad is ''
som tam Green papaya salad is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. Originating in Laos, it is a national dish and a cornerstone of Lao cuisine, known locally as ''tam som'' or ''tam mak hoong''. The dish exemplifies bold, vibrant flavors, ...
'', made from unripe
papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...
. The basic dressing for a ''som tam''-style salad contains
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
,
palm sugar Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar may be qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed simila ...
, lime juice, bird's-eye chillies, dried shrimp and fish sauce. This dressing is slightly pounded and mixed inside an
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...
mortar using a wooden pestle. With certain kinds of ''tam'', some or all of the additional ingredients will be pounded slightly if this helps release the flavours. Though with dishes such as ''tam phonla mai'' (fruit) or ''tam mu yo'' (a sausage similar to liverwurst), the main ingredients are mixed in with the dressing. Many types of ''tam'' salads will also contain (sliced) tomatoes. Northern Thai ''tam'' are 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 makhuea'' is made from mashed grilled eggplant, grilled shallots and garlic, roasted chillies, fish, and
shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
and served with mint and boiled egg. It is somewhat similar to other eggplant salads from around the world, such as '' baba ghanoush''. Further removed from what would still be viewed as a salad in the West is the northern Thai ''tam khanun'', made with a mashed boiled whole baby
jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...
, dried chillies, minced pork stir-fried with a chilli paste,
cherry tomato The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between Solanum pimpinellifolium, wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up ...
es, fresh
kaffir lime ''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime, Thai lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and cr ...
leaves, and coriander leaves. Another traditional salad from northern Thailand is ''tam khai mot daeng'', made with the eggs of the red ant. ''Phak phai'' ( Vietnamese mint) is one of the more unusual herbs used in this salad. A ''tam'' style salad from northern Thailand that is also famous in the rest of Thailand, is ''tam som-o'' (
pomelo The pomelo ( ; or pummelo, ''Citrus maxima''), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fr ...
salad), 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 of rice-paddy crabs.


Lap

''Lap'' or ''
larb Larb (; , , ), also spelled laab, laap, larp, or lahb, is a minced meat salad in Lao cuisine. Known for its bold and harmonious flavors, it is often accompanied by sticky rice and green papaya salad. Larb features minced meat, often pork, chick ...
'' (, ) is one of the internationally most well-known salads from
Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. The spicy, sweet, and very tart style of ''lap'' from 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 roasted
glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...
which gives this salad its specific nutty flavour. Coriander leaves and chopped spring onions finish off the dish. ''Lap'' is most commonly made with minced pork or minced chicken, but in Thailand, ''lap pla'', with fish, is also popular. ''Nam tok'' is a derivative of ''lap'' where the meat is sliced and not minced. Northern Thai ''lap'' is a very different type of dish. As with the northern Thai ''tam'', 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, including fresh herbs and
spices In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
, are freshly mixed to form the dish. Other versions of this northern Thai speciality use raw meat or fish.


Phla

''Phla'' (, ) 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 a ''yam'' but with a difference. In addition to the fish sauce, lime juice, chillies, and shallots or onions, a ''phla'' style 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 have ''
nam phrik ''Nam phrik'' (, ) is a type of Thailand, Thai Spice, spicy chili sauce typical of Thai cuisine. Usual ingredients for ''nam phrik'' type sauces are fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, Lime (fruit), lime juice and often some kind of Fish past ...
phao'', a sweet roasted chilli paste mixed in with the dressing. This last version is popular with
squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
(''phla pla muek'') and with prawns.


Others

The following dishes can also be regarded as salads: *''Khanom chin sao nam'' is a kind of noodle salad using fresh Thai rice noodles called '' khanom chin'', mixed in with thick coconut milk, chopped pineapple, garlic, bird's-eye chillies, ginger " au julienne", lime juice, fish sauce, and pounded dried shrimp. *''Mu kham wan'' or ''mu manao'' is a salad-like dish of sliced grilled pork over which a spicy and very sweet dressing made with lime juice, garlic, bird's-eye chillies, sugar and fish sauce is poured. This dressing is a generic Thai ''
nam chim ''Nam chim'' or ''nam jim'' (, ) is Thai for " dipping sauce". It can refer to a wide variety of dipping sauces in Thai cuisine, with many of them a combination of salty, sweet, spicy and sour. ''Nam chim'' tend to be more watery in consistency ...
'' (). It is often served sprinkled with mint leaves and served together with thinly sliced raw Chinese broccoli, which are made extra crispy by serving the sliced vegetable on a bed of ice. *''Sa'' are salad-like dishes from northern Thailand which can use a similar chilli and spice paste as the northern Thai ''lap'', but with sliced raw shallots and garlic added into the dish. Two of the numerous variations are ''sa phli'', which is made with uncooked sliced banana flowers, and ''sa chin'', with sliced raw buffalo meat. ''Sa taengkwa'', made with cucumber, doesn't use the ''lap'' spice mix but instead a mix of shrimp paste, roasted, fermented soybean, and boiled fermented fish. *''Achat'' is the Thai version of the Malay and Indonesian pickle called '' acar''. Where the original ''acar'' can be made with a whole range of vegetables, the Thai versions are limited to cucumber. ''Achat'' is often served in a small dish as a dipping sauce for '' sate'', ''thot man pla'' (spicy Thai
fish cake A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden. Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...
s), and ''popia thot'' (deep-fried spring rolls). ''Taengkwa priao wan'' is a similar salad-like cucumber pickle. *'' Sup no mai'' () is a salad made by first boiling bamboo shoots, '' ya nang'' leaf juice and other ingredients together, after which the resulting salad is mixed with fresh herbs, sliced onions, and dried chillies. *''Khao yam pak tai'' (ข้าวยำปักษ์ใต้, lit. "southern Thai mixed rice") is one of the staples of
southern Thailand Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bo ...
. It comes in many versions but the basic recipe for the most widespread variation involves mixing cold cooked rice with pieces or slices of unripe mango or pomelo, dried shrimp, '' budu'' sauce, bean sprouts, toasted coconut flakes, sliced lemongrass and
kaffir lime ''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime, Thai lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and cr ...
leaves. Sometimes lime juice is added for additional tartness. *''
Miang kham Miang kham (, ; , ; , ; , ) is a traditional Southeast Asian snack from Thailand and Laos. It was introduced to the Thailand, Siamese court of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V by Dara Rasmi, Princess Dara Rasmi. In Laos, most people call it miang. The n ...
'' are small "salad" parcels made with the fresh peppery leaf of the '' chaphlu'' wrapped around a filling of toasted coconut, chopped lime, bird's-eye chillies, shallots, and ginger, which has been topped with a sweet and savoury sauce made from palm sugar and fish sauce. Variations include additional ingredients for the filling, such as dried shrimp, roasted peanuts, fried fish or meat, sliced lemongrass, and alternative ingredients for the sauce, such as tamarind,
shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
and
galangal Galangal () is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus ''Alpinia'', and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor. Greater gal ...
. These bite-sized parcels are often eaten as a snack or appetiser. * '' Nam tok mu'' is made with grilled pork, chilli powder, chopped shallots, ground roasted rice and lime juice. 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 of ''
nam phrik ''Nam phrik'' (, ) is a type of Thailand, Thai Spice, spicy chili sauce typical of Thai cuisine. Usual ingredients for ''nam phrik'' type sauces are fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, Lime (fruit), lime juice and often some kind of Fish past ...
'' (Thai chilli paste), fits one of the typical characteristics of a salad, being cold vegetables with a "sauce" as an accompaniment to a meal.


See also

* List of Thai dishes * List of Thai ingredients *
List of salads Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes including green salads; vegetable salads; long beans; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They often include vegetables and fruits. ...


References


External links

* {{Lists of prepared foods Thai cuisine Salads