Thailand's most famous soup: galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilli in a clear broth with prawns. Four flavours simultaneously — hot, sour, salty, fragrant.
About Tom Yum Goong
Thailand's most internationally famous soup — a clear, fierce broth of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilli and lime juice with whole prawns; the balance of the four flavours (hot, sour, salty, fragrant) must be simultaneous and equal; the creamy version (tom yum nam khon) adds evaporated milk; the clear version (tom yum nam sai) is brighter and more intense.
A clear, fierce broth of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chilli and lime juice with whole prawns. The four flavours — hot, sour, salty, fragrant — must be simultaneous and equal. The clear version (nam sai) is more intense; the creamy version (nam khon) with evaporated milk is milder.
“A clear, fierce broth of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chilli and lime juice with whole prawns.”
The balance of the four flavours is the entire dish. Too sour and it's lime juice soup. Too salty and it's fish sauce soup. The cook's skill is in the ratio.
What to Expect
The tom yum arrives in a clay pot, still boiling. The lemongrass and galangal float on the surface. The first spoonful hits sour, then hot, then the kaffir lime fragrance. The prawn is plump and just cooked.
Why Try It
Tom yum is Thai cooking's most concentrated single flavour statement — five aromatics producing four sensations in one clear broth.
Insider Tips
- The nam sai (clear) version is more flavourful than the creamy version — start there.
- The lemongrass and galangal are not eaten — they're for flavour only.
- Balance is everything: if it tastes one-dimensional, one element is dominant.
