Authentic Laotian Green Papaya Salad with Fermented Fish Sauce

Prepare the green papaya by peeling it and shredding it into thin strips using a julienne peeler or a mandoline. Place the shredded papaya in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to crisp up, then drain thoroughly.

In a large mortar and pestle, add the garlic and bird's eye chilies. Pound them until they form a coarse paste.

Add the long beans and cherry tomatoes to the mortar. Lightly bruise them with the pestle, just enough to release their juices without mashing them completely.

Add the fermented fish sauce, regular fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice to the mortar. Pound and stir to dissolve the sugar and combine all the dressing ingredients.

Add the drained shredded green papaya to the mortar. Gently pound and toss the salad with the pestle and a spoon, ensuring the dressing coats all the papaya. Do not over-pound, as this can make the papaya mushy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.