Som Tum · Black Crab

Where it comes from

Before som tum moved to the city and got polite, it was pounded with salted rice-paddy crab — funkier, saltier, closer to the Lao original. The brined crab releases a savory depth the dried-shrimp version cannot reach; it is the difference between a postcard of Isaan and a visit. Order sticky rice alongside and eat it the northeastern way: slowly, and with respect.