Som Tum - How Many Chillies

[meadish_sweetball]

I feel it's only spicyness. Other tastes may be reduced temporarily when having a dish containing lots of chili, but once the burning sensation has settled, they do seem to go back to normal.

[sabaijai]

Why count? Because many somtam vendors ask "ow phrik kee met?" (how many chillies do you want?), so it's a good idea to know in advance what your tolerance is. Most of my Thai friends ask for 5, and that's about right for me as well. Less than 4 and my tongue isn't happy, more than 5 I can tolerate but there had better be some sticky rice around, too.

I assume this discussion presumes the 'standard' somtam portion, meant to serve 2-3 persons. The heat of phrik khee noo can vary as well, the phrik khee noo suan usually being the hottest, so a somtam with 5 chillies at one vendor can be hotter than a 5-chilli somtam from another vendor.

The 'tam' salad can be made with a variety of different fruits and vegetables other than green papaya. Some others I enjoy:

tam taeng kwaa - w/cucumbers

tam thua - w/green beans

tam ma-muang - w/sour mango

tam farang - w/guava

tam phon-la-mai ruam - w/mixed fruit

Green papaya somtam with fermented field crab-legs instead of dried shrimp is called (som) tam poo or (som) tam lao, while the more common (in Thailand) recipe with peanuts and dried shrimp is tam thai. Lao-style somtam often adds ma-kawk (hog plum or wild olive), esp in Isaan and in Laos itself.

[~G~]

How many? A few will do for me... But more important is that NO garlic should be allowed inside!

Yes... I know most will not agree with that..

[newns.m]

How many? A few will do for me... But more important is that NO garlic should be allowed inside! 

Yes... I know most will not agree with that.. 

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Not too bothered about the amount of chillies as long as it is Thai Som Tam and not stinky Lao stuff!

[aughie]

1-5 chilis and I prefer not to have soggy crab. My first trip I couldn't figure out how peope could eat teh little red and green chilis. I'd see people asking for extra chilis on the side and eat one with a scoop of ried rice. I thought I had it figured out by not chewing them and swallowing them whole. It worked but oh did I shit fire and have the flaming a*hole that night. I could have sat on a block of ice.

[dantilley]

1-5 chilis and I prefer not to have soggy crab.  My first trip I couldn't figure out how peope could eat teh little red and green chilis.  I'd see people asking for extra chilis on the side and eat one with a scoop of ried rice.  I thought I had it figured out by not chewing them and swallowing them whole.  It worked but oh did I shit fire and have the flaming a*hole that night.  I could have sat on a block of ice.

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[Totster]

Why count? Because many somtam vendors ask "ow phrik kee met?" (how many chillies do you want?), so it's a good idea to know in advance what your tolerance is. Most of my Thai friends ask for 5, and that's about right for me as well. Less than 4 and my tongue isn't happy, more than 5 I can tolerate but there had better be some sticky rice around, too.

I assume this discussion presumes the 'standard' somtam portion, meant to serve 2-3 persons. The heat of phrik khee noo can vary as well, the phrik khee noo suan usually being the hottest, so a somtam with 5 chillies at one vendor can be hotter than a 5-chilli somtam from another vendor.

The 'tam' salad can be made with a variety of different fruits and vegetables other than green papaya. Some others I enjoy:

tam taeng kwaa - w/cucumbers

tam thua - w/green beans

tam ma-muang - w/sour mango

tam farang - w/guava

tam phon-la-mai ruam - w/mixed fruit

Green papaya somtam with fermented field crab-legs instead of dried shrimp is called (som) tam poo or  (som) tam lao, while the more common (in Thailand) recipe with peanuts and dried shrimp is  tam thai. Lao-style somtam often adds ma-kawk (hog plum or wild olive), esp in Isaan and in Laos itself.

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One fo my wifes favorite "tam's" is the one which I think is made with unripe banana... ..very bitter and it dries your mouth out, tastyish though..

totster

[Dara]

Green papaya somtam with fermented field crab-legs instead of dried shrimp is called (som) tam poo or  (som) tam lao, while the more common (in Thailand) recipe with peanuts and dried shrimp is  tam thai. Lao-style somtam often adds ma-kawk (hog plum or wild olive), esp in Isaan and in Laos itself.

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Actually, the original Som Tam Thai is the one made with tamarind juice, served with rice cooked in coconut milk. It is tasty, and being spicy hot is never an issue here. You can still find this dish offerred in some traditional Bkk Thai kitchens.

The one you mentioned here as som tam thai is really som tam issan which has become so popular. When it was introduced in Bkk, it was served with barbecued chicken (gai yang), sticky rice, and larb. Now som tam is looked at as a diet food by many people and variations follow......

[wolf5370]

Like it with Papaya, lime, peanuts, dried prawns and chillis. I like it hot in spice, cold in temperature (chilled and chillied!). I like to have raw beans and lettuce on the side to cool my mouth between mouthfulls. I don't ask for an amount, but the Mrs likes it hot - just ask for "Pok Pok Pet Pet".

On an individual serving, I suppose 5 to 10 (which is what I voted), but I would not eat that on its own, I would have the veg (see before) too as a taste bud saver.

[The Coder]

I know Thai's who would scoff at you for ordering by number of chili's! They order by the handful starting at "neung meu"!

Chili is an addictive substance. The more you have the more you want. I started at 0 where 1 was terribly inedible. Nowadays 6 is ideal for me. But I always like to have a spicy dish complemented with something like the cooling veggies or at least something to temper the heat.

[dvk1951]

I assume this discussion presumes the 'standard' somtam portion, meant to serve 2-3 persons. The heat of phrik khee noo can vary as well, the phrik khee noo suan usually being the hottest, so a somtam with 5 chillies at one vendor can be hotter than a 5-chilli somtam from another vendor.

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Good point Sabaijai,

Not all chili's are equal, for the real prik aficionados check out the Scoville scale for Thai chili's, not the top of the heap but ranks right up there with the rest of the 'oral flames'.

mai phet, mai dee

The following is a quote from

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/chiliscale.htm

"Capsaicinoid content is measured in parts per million. These parts per million are converted into Scoville heat units, the industry standard for measuring a pepper's punch. One part per million is equivalent to 15 Scoville units. Bell peppers have a value of zero Scoville units, whereas habanero -- the hottest peppers--register a blistering 200,000 to 300,000.Pure capsaicin has a Scoville heat unit score of 16 million."

naga jolokia from India. Now claims to be the hottest, known chili.

[dantilley]

I like to have raw beans and lettuce on the side to cool my mouth between mouthfulls.

Yeah, things like that and rice also are very good at tempering the heat if it gets too spicy. One common mistake that people make is to use water or other liquid, e.g. beer, to cool down their mouth - this is just throwing fuel on the fire!

Beer does taste nice with som tam and other isaan food though, as long as you don't take a swig right at the height of the spiciness, at which time it can become painful. Something to do with it cleaning the pallette, apparently, which makes your mouth more sensitive to the chillies which are still being consumed.

By the way, looks like the trend is certainly more towards the lower end of the chilli scale, with a slight peak when you get past 20. So it seems as though once people get the taste for it, they very quickly work their way up the scale into the realms of the blisteringly hot som tams...!

[silvero]

I eat loads of somtam and love it hot, but I've never specified a number, just pet pet so I have no idea how many. I have noticed that sometimes you get really good chillis and sometimes you get not-so-hot chillis so the actual number might vary quite a lot. Gin pet dai!

[mrt273nva]

i have strange chilli cravings. sometimes i just can't handle it at all, and other times i can almost eat them straight. but if i'm not in the mood for spicy and i get a loaded som tam then i am in pain. if i get into one of my silly craving then the more the better. the missus seems to be the same (doesn't always work if we are on different craving schedules).

[pazza]

I like mine pet pet pet

Its one of the things I miss most, my girlfriend knows this and winds me up everyday, so I tell her I miss som tum more than I miss her

see you soon som tom

Steve

[realthaideal]

"So whats the point. I'm guessing that some people think if they eat lots of chilis that it means that they are better... can someone please explain it to me....what is the fixation? Should we start a topic of how many prawns do you like in your Tom Yam Gung? Why don't we have a topic and talk about how long you can sit and meditate....or how long you can stand on one leg? I don't understand."

All good points Chaonah. I think it has to do with proving your "Thainess." As for me, I speak n read so I don't have to prove anything. I tried to prove I was Thai by going super spicy with everything I ate a couple years ago, but after like 3 months of serious chili usage the intestines got a bit uppity with me. And I see this with most Thais too, they keep going for the heat and accept the runs as a way of life. Not me, no way. I like to have things work out solid, if you know what I's sayin'. Eating chilies so you can't taste, or till your head explodes, just means somewhere else is gonna explode later. And that gets tiring. So for me, I just needs a little bit of heat and flavor, and 3 does that just fine. No shame, all fun.

[cm-happy]

Was just wondering how spicy you guys like your som tums. I think I've built up a pretty good chilli tolerance now, and I usually ask for about 12 chillies which often causes a few raised eyebrows when the vendor hears a farrang asking for that amount!

My girlfriend, though, is in a differnt league: she asks for 20 on most occasions and then scoffs the whole lot without breaking a sweat.

Anyone else?

Hmm "How many chillies?"

If you dont start sweating when eating som tum, then not enough!

The morning after eating som tum and taking dump. If it doesnt burn, burn, burn, then not enough chillies

[Mossfinn]

A friend of mine lived a long time in Srisaket. He orders 30 Chillies in his Som-Tum. Me I can stand the stuff, mashing bits of crab, pappaya and fish sauce - yuck

A friend of mine lived a long time in Srisaket. He orders 30 Chillies in his Som-Tum. Me I can stand the stuff, mashing bits of crab, pappaya and fish sauce - yuck

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Nice Avatar.

A little off Topic, just curious!!

How did you quote Khutan yet get mattnich in the quotation box?

Never asked how many chillies to have and if they asked I wouldn't have understood any way!

Just say, "Phet Phet Mak Mak and watch them watching me squirm as I try to be cool whilst being in a red glow like Chenobyl."

Moss

[Trevor]

My vote is for ZERO chillies. Otherwise the pernicious cycle of habituation begins. There is still enough chili residue in the mortar from previous tams to give just a hint of chili flavour without being overpowering.

Lao tam tastes like blah compared to Thai, with or without prik.