Instant noodles wind up practically everywhere regular noodles do, and even occasionally where they don¡¯t. For instance, I¡¯ve seen people crunch into them straight from the bag. It¡¯s no shocker, then, that the beloved product¡ªcalled MAMA in Thai, in reference to the best-known brand¡ªmakes great fodder for yam. Yam is often translated as ¡°salad,¡± and while the English word does the trick, it doesn¡¯t do much justice in describing the room-temperature jumbles of vegetables, herbs, and proteins dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, and chiles. When MAMA enters the fray, yam becomes a hearty snack to share while you booze, the heat and salt compelling another swig, and then another.?