Is it a restaurant that was listed by UNESCO?
No. What was listed is the knowledge of making Tom Yum Kung and the related food culture. It does not mean that any restaurant has been certified.
Tom Yum Kung
Tom Yum Kung · ต้มยำกุ้ง
Try Tom Yum Kung, a hot soup in which the aroma of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf rises from the broth. It is Thailand's best-known soup, cooked sour and spicy with prawns. A spoonful brings sourness, heat and herbs together. If you are eating with friends or family, order rice and share a bowl of Tom Yum Kung.
Tom yam kung 1 · Vee Satayamas · CC BY 2.0
Resized for display
What does it taste like?
Sourness and heat are added to a broth that has taken on the flavour of prawns. Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf give Tom Yum Kung its distinctive aroma. There are clear and rich versions, so dishes with the same name can taste a little different.
If you do not eat prawns, choose another dish instead of Tom Yum Kung.
Dish basics
- Dish name
- Tom Yum Kung · Tom Yum Kung
- Thai name
- ต้มยำกุ้ง
- Type
- Soups and curries
- Region
- Central · A signature Thai dish
- Main ingredients
- Prawns, with aroma from lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf and more. The seasoning and the broth differ with the recipe.
The dish and its region
Tom Yum Kung is a dish whose recipe has been passed on in homes and communities. The cooking knowledge and culture around it were added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024. This is not a certification of any one restaurant but a recognition of the culture that people have handed down by making and sharing the dish.
How to order and eat it
- Look at whether the menu offers a clear or a rich broth, and choose. If you want less heat, say so when you order. Broth that is already cooked can be hard to adjust.
- Take the broth in small spoonfuls with rice. If you are in a group, serve it into each bowl and share the prawns and broth.
- The hard lemongrass stalks and aromatics in the broth are there for flavour. Pick out the pieces you will eat along with the prawns.
Frequently asked questions
Is every tom yum a prawn soup?
No. Kung means prawn, and there are also tom yum soups made with other ingredients. The name that follows tom yum on the menu helps you choose the main ingredient.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources and references
If you want to read more about these dishes and regions, these sources are a good place to start. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one eatery to another.
Sharing image credit: Vee Satayamas · CC BY 2.0