The second gift I received on mother's day was a fabulously functional shredding tool -- the Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler to be exact (thank you boys!) that allowed me to make short work of this Thai Green Papaya Salad.

Salty, Sweet, Sour and Spicy, you will fall in love with this refreshing and delicious summer gem and quickly understand why it is consistently ranked among Thailand's most popular dishes.  I'm talkin' lip smacking, pucker-inducing, good.

I describe this salad as Thai inspired because in traditional Thai cooking, measuring devices are not used and nor are handy-dandy shredding tools that make the job easier. 'Tum' literally translates into "pound" and most/or all of the ingredients in this salad are traditionally pounded in a giant sized mortar with pestle.  But since most of us do not own head-sized mortars and pestles the length of our forearms, I've introduced some options that are more likely to accommodate what the average person has on hand.

Be sure to check out the Nutrition & Cooking Notes for nutrition information, cautions and options.