Weird and gangly
All over the island of Maui you will spot trees loaded with papaya. A weird and gangly looking tree capable of growing tall to reach the sun and producing large clusters of fruit, papaya grows effortlessly in the tropics.
Modest fruit
It is modest in flavour but has lots of hidden uses and benefits. Papaya has papain, an enzyme used in meat tenderizer and in cream form can be used topically on cuts and injuries. Papaya is also an excellent digestive aid helping your stomach break down food, its leaves are used as a treatment for malaria and the bark can be made into rope. The black seeds from a ripe papaya can be used as a substitute for pepper and a green unripe papaya (when consumed) has been known to have a contraceptive effect in women, I’m not sure if I would rely on that though.
Red flesh, yellow flesh
There are two types of papaya growing on the property, the red flesh, long and football shaped and the yellow flesh variety that is rounder. As the papaya ripens it will change from green to pale yellow and will soften, so it is very easy to tell when they are ready to eat. The papaya can also be eaten when it is green and it has a whole different characteristic, crunchy and fresh.
Green papaya
Used in many different parts of Asia, green papaya is cooked into curries and stews and used in a few salad preparations. Easily the most popular recipe for green papaya is a Thai dish called Som Tom (green papaya salad). This is one of my favourite Thai dishes that just bursts with flavour and texture and is a great dish on its own but is also a good accompaniment to a nice grilled piece of steak. I was originally taught how to make som tom years ago by a Thai maid (Sujin) when I was the chef at the Dutch embassy. It is very easy to make but to get authentic results you have to follow a few golden rules (explained in the recipe directions).
Authentic recipes
On the property here in Hana there are loads of papaya trees so procuring the green papaya was simple. The dressing for the salad is pretty unconventional for most since it relies heavily on fish sauce, don’t let that deter you because the end result is not fishy, just delicious. Authentic recipes include dried shrimp but excluding them does not ruin the salad so I didn’t even list them as an ingredient. Peanuts are also traditionally used but this is ACNM in Hawaii so it was only appropriate to sub in toasted macadamia nuts.
This is definitely a great recipe to add to your repertoire!
- 4 cups green papaya, julienned or shredded green papaya
- 3/4 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
- 3/4 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup tomatoes diced or quartered cherry tomatoes
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 to 5 fresh Thai red chilies, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp tamarind water (optional)
- 1/3 cup macadamia nuts or peanuts, chopped
- Fresh cilantro
- Combine the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice minced garlic, chili peppers and optional tamarind to make your dressing. No salt is needed because the fish sauce is salty.
- To properly prepare the salad you will need a large mortar and pestle or something similar. I used a heavy bowl with the butt end of a large wooden muddler to do the job.
- Starting with half the carrots, green beans and papaya, slowly pound in a third of the dressing breaking down the papaya and slightly crushing the beans.
- Add in the rest of the salad ingredients, including the tomatoes, and more dressing as you see it get absorbed. Don't worry, the papaya can take it and the pounding is how the whole thing comes together, you are not trying to pound it to a pulp just to start to break things down so the salad can absorb the dressing. The salad will not absorb all the dressing but a quick toss and everything will be nicely coated and ready to eat. Garnish with the macadamia nuts & fresh cilantro. Enjoy.
We served our salad with grilled teriyaki beef and had the leftovers in an awesome sandwich the next day.
This is an interesting and alternative recipe for this dish, I’d make it without the fish sauce and eat it all summer! If only I could find the same gorgeous papaya you have there..
This is how a Thai lady showed Tim how to make it. I don’t know what it would taste like without the fish sauce but maybe you could find a salty substitute.
Papaya salad is so good for you and so darn yummy!
Green Papaya Salad is one of our favorite things! Your recipe makes it sound much less intimidating to try on my own. Let’s hope it tastes as good as yours looks!
We hope you’ll try it!
I had no idea there were so many good things in papaya!
It should be considered a super food.