I almost went out for it today, but instead I hit my local asian market for ingredients to supplement the fish sauce and palm sugar I always keep in the pantry:
Next time I want to try adding in some seafood, likely crab.
Looks good. Better than restaurant’s or takeaway?
I love papaya-green mango salad, especially if there’s some little salted crab and dried prawns thrown in. Had it as often as I could in Thailand. I remember watching the sellers pound the ingredients in a big mortar. How skilful they shredded the mango and papaya without fear, using a simple knife!
I make it sometimes in the summer but use frozen shredded papaya (from Vietnam). I’m afraid of mandolin and scary sharp tools.
It is still being eaten as I type and it is as good as most that I’ve had. As for scary sharp things, I’ve got you covered. Get one of these:
Since you were using the Kiwi Pro Slice for the papaya, what do you use the small food processor for? Or does it come into play?
I have something similar (Japanese, wooden handle) which I use to shred daikon for salad and kimchi. Maybe I could try it on papaya and green mango.
Got this tool in Korea, have shredded cabbage with it.
I process an equal amount of chili, garlic, and chopped long beans into a spicy paste because I am too lazy to mash them by hand 
I am sure to get this, I have mandoline, but I find it difficult to use with certain vegetables, like those that are hard (carrot), papaya should be softer though.
Cool. Thanks for the explanation
My kiwi pro slice dulled really fast. Loved it at first. I was making papaya salad at least once a week last summer until it dulled.
We went to Songkran celebrations last two weekends. I love the Som Tum vendors. But you have to go early. (We arrive so early, some vendors aren’t set up yet.) Otherwise, the vendors get tired from all the pounding.
I like how everyone has their own take on it. Some vendors focus on making all homemade sauces and pickles. Others focus on freshness of ingredients. This year, one vendor didn’t even have dried shrimp, crab, peanuts, and many other ingredients I think of as traditional. And her Som Tum was hands down the best. Another vendor made and was selling her own fish sauce, which she said was specifically for Som Tum. It was very expensive but worth it.
I have a few Kiwi knives (no peeler or slice). They have an interesting grind/edge geometry which makes them have less resistance, feeling sharper. However, they seem to make from a softer steel, easier to get dull. I wonder if you have sharper the slice with a stone.
here is a recipe for atchara
atchara is a form of escabeche, a type of dish where meat, fish or vegetables are marinated in an acidic mixture with vinegar as the usual souring agent. Atchara is a favored condiment in the Philippines and is often served as accompaniment to fried or grilled meats and seafood. The key to this pickled side dish is the right balance of sourness and sweetness in its fermenting juice and I find the ratio of 1-1/2 cups vinegar to 1 cup sugar perfect for my taste. The addition of spices and a few days of maturation in the refrigerator beautifully round up the distinct flavors of this colorful slaw.
1 large unripe (green) papaya, peeled, seeded and grated
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and julienned
1 small onion, peeled and sliced thinly
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon peppercorns
½ small red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
½ small green pepper, seeded and julienned
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
¼ cup raisins
that is a copied recipe , not mine
They can do it with a knife back in Thailand!
Yes, and they also do it without wearing gloves. 
I’ve seen some older ladies at Songkran do that, but most people use the Kiwi slicer or something similar.
@Chemicalkinetics, I have lots of Kiwi knives, too. For the price, it’s hard to complain. But your assessment is spot on. They are so cheap that I know someone who just replaces them when they get dull.
As for sharpening, I haven’t got my act together with that, yet. I appreciate all the help from you and others earlier this year. I will use that information and will try my best to respect everyone’s efforts.
Upon a closer look, I don’t think it will be easy to sharpen this Kiwi Pro-slice. Not impossible, but it will be quite difficult. The edge is not straight, but rather a wavy, so we cannot use a flat stone.
I found another tool also for a similar purpose. It is the Kom Kom Miracle knife
New York Times: “2. Kom-Kom Miracle Zig-Zag While not the prettiest knife in the drawer, this gadget is noteworthy for its beautifying capabilities: the V-shaped point carves fruit, the yellow nub splices citrus peels, and the handle cores apples; twist it horizontally, and it juliennes green papaya;”
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/style/tmagazine/05tthai.html
The importfood website has improved dramatically. The Thai Tamarind cutting board really caught my eye.
Seal (David).
So, was it worth the effort? Or do you think you would rather eat out? I have more or less able to make Vietnamese Pho to the level I like. However, making the broth has to be fairly large quantity which meant I would be eating Pho for 3-5 days straight. I suppose I could freeze the broth, but that would take up quiet a bit of freezer space which I rather reserve for something else. After making a few Pho session, I have backed out now. It just seems simpler to just order one bowl from a restaurant.
So, I just finished the last of it, and I gotta say that we enjoyed it for days. So, yes, I guess it was well worth it. Would I do it every day? Heck no! But once a month or more definitely.
It probably will work out well in a party/gather setting which you make for numerous people. Thanks for sharing your thought.
