Tom Yam soup with shrimp, lemongrass and lime leaves

Soak Shiitake in warm water for 2-3 hours.
Peel the shrimp from the shell, make an incision in the center and remove the brown "thread".
Rinse in cold water.
Chop galangle, lemongrass, chili pepper, onion and mushrooms.
Put galangal, lemongrass, chili pepper, lime leaves, shiitake in boiling chicken broth.
Add fish sauce and tom yam paste, mix. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes .
Then add the shrimp, onion and squeeze the juice of half a lemon, cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in coconut milk, stir, let cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with chopped coriander and rice.

Tom-yam is a sour—spicy soup based on chicken broth with shrimp, chicken, fish or other seafood. The national dish of Laos and Thailand. It is also used in neighboring countries: Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Literally, the name of the soup consists of two Thai words "tom" and "yam". "Tom" literally translates as "boil" or "boil". "Yam" is a Thai spicy salad. Thus, in Thailand and Laos, "tom-yam" means the common name of hot sour-spicy soups. For a more precise name, a type of meat or broth is added at the end. "Tom-yam-kai" — tom-yam with chicken, "tom-yam-thale" — tom-yam with seafood, "tom-yam-kai-nam-khon" — tom-yam with chicken on coconut milk and so on.

In neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as in restaurants around the world, the name "tom-yam" is widely used to refer to various Thai spicy soups, which can be very different from the original, which often causes confusion.

Types of soup

tom-yam-kung—tom-yam with shrimp. This version of the soup is the most popular among tourists;
tom-yam-paa (Laotian) or tom-yam-pla (Thai) — with fish. Before the arrival of mass tourism in Thailand, this type of soup was the most common in the country, since fish is the most affordable product in Thailand;
tom-yam-guy or tom-yam-kai — from chicken;
tom-yam-thale is a variant of tom-yam soup with various seafood, such as shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, pieces of sea fish, etc.
tom-yam-nam-khon is a relatively new variation of soup, almost always prepared with shrimp as the main ingredient and milk or coconut milk, which is added at the very end of cooking;
tom-yam-kung-maphrao-nam-khon — a version of shrimp soup with coconut milk and pieces of coconut pulp;
tom-yam-ka-mu — soup based on pork knuckle. It is simmered for a long time.
Oyster mushrooms or straw mushrooms are often added to the modern popular version of soup. The soup is also decorated with freshly chopped coriander or coriander seeds. Sometimes chili paste is added (English) Russian. , which gives the soup a brighter orange color and makes the taste of pepper more saturated.

The Royal Lao version of tom yam includes a pinch of rice. In the usual version, rice is served separately to the soup.