Being able to travel is a blessing I am grateful for, especially at a time when some might consider it nonessential. A recent friends’ trip to Bangkok, planned six months in advance, reawakened my love for Thai flavors and the masterful way they manage to combine sweet, sour and spicy.

The embodiment of this expertise can be tasted in their Som Tam or spicy green papaya salad. Whether prepared at roadside stalls or restaurants, Thai cooks combine shredded unripe papaya, cherry tomatoes and string beans with chilies, garlic, dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind juice and crushed peanuts in a deep and well-used mortar and pestle.