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Lao

Tam mak hoong

Non-vegetarian

ຕຳໝາກຫຸ່ງ · tam mak hung

Lao-style pounded green papaya salad: funkier, saltier and hotter than Thai som tam, with fermented fish flavours, lime and tomatoes and no peanuts.

Tam mak hoong is a Lao salad from Laos, ready in about 15 minutes and made with papaya and fish sauce. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A flavorful Thai green papaya salad on rustic wooden table with chopsticks.
Photo: UNDO KIM / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Total
15 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
118

Ingredients

3 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) and chillies to a rough paste in a large mortar.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the beans and tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and bruise them lightly. Add the fish sauce (opens in a new tab), padaek (opens in a new tab), lime juice (opens in a new tab) and palm sugar (opens in a new tab) and pound to dissolve.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Add the papaya (opens in a new tab) and pound gently while turning it with a spoon, just until it softens and takes on the dressing.

    • 3 min

  4. Step 4

    Taste and adjust, then serve immediately with cabbage (opens in a new tab) wedges and sticky rice.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Laos · Commonly attributedPounded papaya salad is shared between Laos and Isan in Thailand; the Lao version leans on fermented fish (padaek).Also popular in ThailandMore food from Laos
Dish
Lunch · Snack · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method
Raw, No-cook
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), sour, salty, umami
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Budget-friendly · Minimal cleanup
Cook more with
Papaya · Fish sauce · Garlic · Fresh red chilli · Green beans · Tomato

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce, padaek (lao fermented fish sauce)
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

118 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 273 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 87%
  • Fat 4%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy118 kcal43 kcal
Protein2.8 g1 g
Carbohydrate28.7 g10.5 g
Net carbohydrate24.6 g9 g
Sugars20.3 g7.4 g
Added sugars4.3 g1.6 g
Fibre4.1 g1.5 g
Fat0.6 g0.2 g
Saturated fat0.2 g0.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1412 mg518 mg
Salt equivalent3.5 g1.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
545 mg
Calcium
64 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
79 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
106 µg
Vitamin C
124 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
86 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cabbage.
  • Padaek (Lao fermented fish sauce): Fish sauce used as a stand-in; padaek is a chunkier fermented fish with rice bran, of similar saltiness but more protein.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Shred the papaya by hacking it with a knife and shaving off strips — this gives the classic uneven texture.

Common mistakes

  • Pounding the papaya too hard; it should be bruised, not mashed.

Serve with

  • Serve with sticky rice, larb and grilled chicken.

Storage

  • Eat immediately — it goes watery within an hour.

Variations

  • Tam som (Thailand): Thai-style version with peanuts and dried shrimp.
  • Tam mak taeng: Made with cucumber instead of papaya.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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