Important ingredients for Som Tam Lao

Som Tam is a papaya salad made from small grated strips of young and unripe papaya fruits. The Thais use dry shrimps and peanuts to seoson the salad (Som Tam Thai), the Laos people use small black crab and fermented fish paste (Pla Rah) for their dish (Som Tam Lao). The dish origin comes from norther parts of Viet Nam and Laos.