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Cover story : 25 Jul 2003
Vol. 20 No.8
Tom Yam Kung
Not only tasty but with medicinal properties.
By SuwanThada

One of Some Best Buys



Rivercity

 

 
Tom yam kung_01
 
If you ask any foreigners who have ever visited Thailand about their favourite Thai food, their answers, almost without exception, will be tom yam kung.
Tom yam kung, or spicy shrimp soup, is the number one of the top ten Thai dishes loved by foreigners, according to a recent investigation. And in fact, it is one of the most favourite dishes for Thai people as well. It is simply because it is so delicious for its unique sour and spicy taste that you will certainly need it more and more if you try it just once.

Thai food generally not only provides a wonderful taste but also includes medicinal properties in its herbal ingredients as well. Tom yam kung is one of the best examples. To make you acquainted with this special Thai dish, this article will introduce you to the recipe for the soup and its herbal properties.
 
Ingredients :
  • 1 pint of water
  • 10 large shrimps
  • 1 cup of mushrooms
  • 1 stalk of lemon grass chopped
  • 2 kaffir-lime leaves
  • 1 table spoon of chopped coriander leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground chilli (the amount can be adjusted according to one's preference)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
Tom yam kung_02
 
How to cook :
1. Pour the water into a pot, add the lemon grass and kaffir-lime leaves and heat it.
2. Add the shrimps when the water is boiling and cover the pot.
3. Wait for 3 minutes before adding the mushrooms and salt.
 
Tom yam kung_03
Chillies and other herbs like kaffir-lime
leaves and lemon grass make
Tom Yam Kung spicy.
 
4. Leave it to simmer for a few minutes. Then remove from the heat.
5. Season with fish sauce, lime juice and ground chilli.
6. Put the chopped coriander leaves in the pot before serving.
Top
To enhance the flavour, sometimes nam phrik phao or roast chilli paste is added to the soup before it is removed from the heat. For foreigners who are not accustomed with its original taste, just add some milk to the soup to make its taste milder and blended well.

Tips: Best served hot with a plate of steamed rice and a dish of omelette.

For the medicinal properties of tom yam kung, different herbs offer different functions. Their properties are described below:
 
Lemon grass
Lemon grass can help relieve excessive gas in the stomach or intestine, increase the secretion of urine, reduce heat in the body and prevent the spread of some kinds of bacteria.
Tom yam kung_04
 
Chilli
Chilli is used as cough medicine. It is useful for the respiratory system, blood circulation and heart as well.
Lime
Lime helps to prevent coughing, flu and scurvy.
Kaffir-lime
Kaffir-lime is used to deodorize the strong smell of some food. Its juice can cure cough, dandruff and some types of stomach ache.
 
Tom yam kung_05
 

Those are just some of the medicinal properties in tom yam kung. Besides, it is full of nutrients from shrimps and vegetables. You will see that the food not only makes you full, but makes you healthy. That is an important reason why tom yam kung is noted as the number one of Thai dishes.

 
 
For the correct pronunciation of romanized Thai words, see
Romanization System of
the Thai Language .

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