6-7-2023 ( BANGKOK) A Thai woman was left stunned after finding an unusual bone with a set of teeth in her favourite papaya salad, also known as som tam in Thailand. The incident which happened on July 5 was shared on Facebook by a user named เบน ช้ะ, who posted a picture of the bone in question with a caption expressing her disgust and confusion.
In the post, the woman stated that she had reached the end of her favourite fermented fish dish and was about to throw it away when she spotted the suspicious bone. She couldn’t figure out which animal the teeth belonged to and was initially worried that it could be harmful to her health.
The woman revealed to ThaiRath that she purchased the fermented fish som tam from her favourite shop. After she almost finished the dish, she noticed an unexpectedly large piece within the dish, initially assuming it to be a fish bone. She casually scooped it up and deposited it into the trash can without giving it much thought.
However, she later retrieved the bone and washed it to reveal a set of teeth. She then sought the opinion of the online community to identify the source of the bone.
In response to her post, numerous Thai netizens chimed in with their theories regarding the bone. Some proposed that it could belong to a large fish, such as a pomfret, which is one of the popular edible fish found in Thailand. A Thai doctor, Itawat Areekit, also expressed the same opinion that the teeth belonged to a pomfret and urged the woman not to be scared as the pomfret is delicious and included in many Thai dishes.
The incident has sparked a heated debate online, with some netizens expressing their disgust, while others have defended the vendor, stating that it is common to find bones in som tam. Despite the mixed reactions, the woman has vowed to take a break from eating her favourite dish for a while.
