This Som Tam Is So Fresh The Crab Is Still Crawling Around

This som tam is so fresh the crab is still crawling around

This crab som tam order was a bit too fresh to not share.

If you’re a foodie, then you know how important it is for ingredients to be fresh. Some high-end Japanese sushi restaurants won’t serve it any other way than straight from the chef’s hand to your plate instantly to preserve freshness and taste.

A Thai netizen discovered that some Thai eateries really take this concept seriously when the netizen discovered a crab burrowed into their som tam as if it was crawling at the beach. Here’s the crab’s surprisingly large size and how other Thai netizens reacted to it.

Isaan is known for its raw food, but not this raw

Image credit: youngterk1 via TikTok

The Isaan region of Thailand is known for its raw dishes. Sok Lek (ซกเล็ก), for instance, is a dish comprised of raw beef and blood.

Somtam is no different as it is made using unripened papaya. But when one Thai netizen discovered a live crab in a takeaway som tam, perhaps we’re going too far with how raw and fresh we eat our food.

In the viral TikTok clip, we can see the surprisingly large crab slowly poke its head out of what it must believe is Thailand’s sandy beaches. It then proceeds to crawl around in the plastic bag.

This meal is guaranteed to be so fresh that you’re definitely going to have to fight the food literally to eat it.

Netizens are amazed at how fresh this shop’s ingredients are

Image credit: youngterk1 via TikTok

Thai netizens who saw the clip cried in unison, “That’s too fresh”.

One commenter also noted humorously that this surely must be a mark of how fresh the ingredients at this shop are.

Another commenter brought up, in jest, that the crab should be released into the wild. After all, if it could make it through the grinding of the pestle and mortar during the cooking process, then it surely must have a load of good karma.

Eat fresh in Thailand, but be careful

Thailand is a food haven, and if this story is anything to go by, you won’t be eating anything stale or frozen.

But if there’s one takeaway from this story, it’s to be attentive while eating in Thailand. You never know when your food is fresh enough to fight back.

In other news, the leading candidate for Thai PM invited Taylor Swift to come to Thailand for a concert. Alternatively, if you’re looking for things to do this month, check out our July guide to Bangkok.

Cover image adapted from: youngterk1 via TikTok