I'm going to take you deep into the world of som tham by showing you the deliciously different ways they're made. We'll take it one post at a time but if you're new to Thai food, this would be great food knowledge if you have Thai friends or dating a Thai person. As funny as that sounds, your som tham game can get you into most Thai families and groups of Thai friends. If you're not Thai and you know how to make it too, would be the equivalent of you knowing how to box around Manny Pacquiao. Meaning it would be extremely impressive either knowing about it or making it or both. Yes, we're still speaking about som tham!
The one we just ordered is called som tham Thai. It also had a salted duck egg which is a bonus. This is a standard version (without salted duck egg) of what the world knows as Thai papaya salad so if you say som tham Thai to anybody making it, they'll make it without pla-ra (Thai fermented fish). You always tell them the number of chilies and the general count goes as follows:
0 chilies- self- explanatory
1 chili- you don't eat spicy foods and this is safe if you want to be daring on your visit.
2-3 chilies- you normally eat spicy foods as a hobby and expect some sweat.
4-5 chilies- you may come from a country like Mexico, eat spicy normally and expect everything spicy anyways.
6-9 chilies- you may not be human and may I meet your parents. Or you could just be Thai normally from East Thailand.
This is an estimated spiciness scale that's spot on for som tham in Thailand.
Not other Thai dishes so eat accordingly because the general spiciness rule is, it comes out just as hot. If you're Thai though, you're willing to risk it all in terms of spiciness to get that perfect spiciness out of your som tham.
