Tom yam kung: zing-zest-bang! (ต้มยำกุ้ง)

om yam kung is the ultimate Thai soup.
A liquid explosion of aromas it is Thailand's punchy answer to the more sedate charm or bouillabaisse.

Curiously enough, tom yam kung literally means boiled shrimp salad and that is what it in fact is.

There is really nothing to cooking it as long as you can get hold of right fresh ingredients.

1. Bring water with galangal root, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, Thai phrik khee noo chilies and some fried chili paste to boil.
2. Add whatever seafood you have, some green beans and a few champignons. I sometimes embellish it with lotus roots but that might be slightly apocryphal. A glug of coconut milk at this stage turns your soup into the tom yum nam khon (ต้มยำน้ำข้น) variety.
   
3. When it boils again, it is ready. Never overcook!
   
4. Regulate saltiness with fish sauce.

++++++

Thai language school and translation agency in Bangkok, Thailand offering Thai, Chinese, English, Japanese, Russian and Laotian (Lao, Isarn, Isaan) language courses.