Tom Yum - Selected Types

Selected Types

• Tom yum goong or tom yam kung, the version of the dish most popular among tourists is made with prawns as main ingredient.
• Tom yum paa (Lao) or tom yam pla (Thai) is a clear fish soup that was traditionally eaten with rice. It used to be the most widespread form of tom yam before mass-tourism came to Thailand, for fresh fish is readily available almost everywhere in the region's rivers, canals and lakes as well as in the sea. Usually fish with firm flesh that doesn't crumble after boiling is preferred for this type of soup.
• Tom yum gai or tom yam kai is the chicken version of the soup.
• Tom yum po taek (Lao) or tom yam thale (Thai) is a variant of the soup with mixed seafood, like prawns, squid, clams and pieces of fish.
• Tom yam nam khon (Thai: ต้มยำน้ำข้น) is a more recent variation. Almost always made with prawns as a main ingredient, a little milk or coconut milk is added to the broth as a finishing touch, and then balanced with some toasted dried chillies. This adaptation is not to be confused with tom kha gai ("chicken galanga soup"), where galanga is the dominant flavour of the coconut milk-based soup.
• Tom yam kung maphrao on nam khon, a version of prawn tom yum with the meat of a young coconut and a dash of (coconut) milk.
• Tom yam kha mu (Thai: ต้มยำขาหมู), made with pork knuckles. These require a long cooking time under low fire.

In the modern popularized versions the soup contains also mushrooms - usually straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. The soup is often topped with generous sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro (coriander leaves). Sometimes Thai chili jam (nam phrik phao, Thai: น้ำพริกเผา) is added: this gives the soup a bright orange color and makes the chili flavour more pronounced. The Royal Lao version of tom yam includes a pinch of rice in the soup.