Thailand's most internationally recognised soup — a hot and sour broth fragrant with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, and chilli, typically made with prawns (tom yum goong) and balanced to be simultaneously spicy, sour, and aromatic.
The flavour balance
Tom yum (ต้มยำ) is defined by a precise balance of hot (phet — from chillies), sour (priao — from lime juice), salty (khem — from fish sauce), and fragrant (hom — from the aromatic herbs). These four elements must be in equilibrium. A tom yum with too much sour, too little salt, or insufficient heat is considered wrong.
The aromatics
Three ingredients give tom yum its distinctive flavour that cannot be substituted:
- Lemongrass (ta-khrai) — the lemony, citrus-grassy backbone
- Galangal (kha) — sharper, more medicinal than ginger, with pine-like notes
- Kaffir lime leaves (bai makrut) — powerfully citrus-floral leaves from the knobbly kaffir lime fruit
These aromatics are not eaten — they are added bruised and whole to perfume the broth and removed before eating, or left in the bowl as garnish (but still not eaten).
Tom yum vs. tom kha
Tom kha gai is the coconut-milk version — lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime in coconut milk with chicken. The coconut milk moderates the sour and spice, producing a creamier, milder version of the same aromatic base.
The prawn (goong) version
Tom yum goong — with prawns — is the most common version internationally. The prawn shells and heads are sometimes briefly sautéed in oil to form a flavorful base before the broth is added.
Find more foods by letter
Tom Yum starts with T and ends with M. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Tom Yum":