I would like to confirm the definitions of YAM (ยำ).

Am I correct in my assumption that it can be used to mean:

1. Hot (spicy) and sour (tangy) dressed salad.

2. To dress food.

3. To mix (salad, etc.).

Thank you for your help.

Resorting to the RID again (my translation):

ก. เคล้าคละ, ปะปน.

Verb. To mix, to mix up

น. ชื่อกับข้าวอย่างหนึ่งที่ปรุงโดยเอาผักและเนื้อสัตว์เป็นต้น

Noun. The name of a kind of dish eaten with rice which is cooked using, for example, vegetables and quadruped meat

มาเคล้าเข้าด้วยกัน เช่น ยำเนื้อ ยำเล็บมือนาง ยำปลากรอบ.

which arrive mixed together, e.g. beef yam (YAM NUEA), ladies fingernail yam (YAM LEP MUE NANG), crispy fish salad (YAM PLA KROP).

There's no sense here of “dressing”. It's all about mixing and dishes produced by mixing ingredients together, as opposed to stir frying together, boiling together, or pounding together (SOM TAM).

I'm not sure that “salad” is a good translation, though it's very common. It certainly doesn't cover TOM YAM KUNG, and raises images of cold food, whilst the salad-type yams are usually warm.

Dear AyG,

Thank you for that explanation and taking the time to translate it for me.

I will remove the 'to dress food' definition and will leave:

a. to mix

b. salad, spicy/sour (a dish of mixed ingredients)

Much appreciated.

On the topic of salads, I am glad to see there have been a number of western style slad bars opening up in food courts and even in street markets here in Songkhla. They sell it by the kilo, typically 12baht/kg, and seem to all do a brisk business.

I wonder if this is just a local thing here in Songkhla Town or if the same thing is happening in other parts of Thailand.

It's a nice trend after the explosion of 'tea' and 'coffee' kiosks like Cha Phayom that are helping to make so many girls down here chubby.

Certainly in central Thailand most supermarkets (Big C, Tesco-Lotus and the more upmarket ones) all have salad bars, though the quality varies. However, prices are certainly more than 12 Baht/Kg. 20 Baht/100g is, I think, the starting point.

favorite ยำ ?

for me its 1) the old ace in the hole ยำมะม่วง this dish changed my life.

and its ol cousin 2) ยำปลาดุกฟู

like.. .what even can compare ?

Nothing can beat ยำปลาดุกฟู except perhaps Durian

ยำปลาดุกฟู is one of my all-time favorites as well. Once, during a fishing trip we stopped at a restaurant in Kanchanaburi. They served a ยำกุ้งฟู (yam goong foo) that was simply out of the world. That was the one and only time I've ever eaten it. I would assume that other restaurants, especially ones that specialize in seafood would have it but I've looked for it and never found it again. The ยำกุ้งฟู was a memorable dish.

maybe the only thing better than eating it is ordering it 555

I'll match your ยำปลาดุกฟู and raise you a ยำถั่วพู. Surely the ultimate ยำ!

Edited December 18, 201411 yr by Briggsy

Mmmm ยำปลาดุกฟู is probably my favourite Thai dish, and my students always crack up when I tell them that + ตำมะม่วง are my favourite dishes lol.

Although in general any form of ยำ is usually pretty good, I just love that ยำ sauce. Have you guys ever had ยำหมูกรอบ, when done well this is probably my favourite dish (Although you don't see it on the menu that often).

But yeah, on the topic, my wife says that apparently the taste/ingredients used in ต้มยำ is why it has ยำ in the name, so maybe rethink that definition.