The Curious History of Som Tum (Papaya Salad)Our popular Som Tum salad combines shredded green papaya, Thai chili, green beans, cherry tomatoes, dried baby shrimp, carrots, green beans, and roasted peanuts in a tangy lime sauce. If that’s not enough to get your mouth watering, we don’t know what will!Across Thailand, you’ll find similar combinations of these papaya salad ingredients. However, some street market vendors add extra palm sugar to lessen the kick of the chilies, while others incorporate fermented fish for a pungent twist. Beyond these variations, the most important factors remain the crunchy texture of the unripe papaya and the perfect combination of different taste sensations.While papaya salad is a signature dish in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, it is the Thai version that is the most famous. However, food historians believe that this dish actually originated in Laos. This is because papaya salad is especially popular in Thailand’s northeastern region of Isaan, which shares a border with Laos. Furthermore, papaya and chili have been key ingredients in Laotian cuisine since the 1800s. Although the Thai green papaya salad we all know and love is slightly different from the papaya salad served in Laos, the Laotian version often includes green eggplant and fermented fish paste.In the Lao-Isaan dialect, Som Tum salad was originally calledtum bak hoong. The term ‘bak hoong’ translates to ‘papaya,’ while ‘tam’ means ‘pounded.’ Since making green papaya salad involves a lot of pestle and mortar action, it makes sense thatitwas once known as ‘pounded papaya.’ The name change came as a result of mass migration from the Isaan region to Bangkok. As migrant workers shared their love of the papaya salad they grew up eating, both the recipe and the name evolved over time. Eventually, Som Tum became the street market staple it is today. Although the ‘pounded’ part of the dish’s name has remained, as Som Tum translates to ‘pounded sour.’When you think of Thai food, Som Tum is one of the first dishes that comes to mind. Therefore, it may come as a real surprise to learn that this dish didn’t even originate in Thailand, but rather in its neighboring country, Laos! Of course, this does not make Som Tum any less of a star in Thai cuisine, where chefs have perfected the art of balancing sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors just right.(Adapted from https://shorturl.at/m7YQw)What can be inferred about Thai cuisine from the passage?