The Story of Tom Yum: Thailand's Most Misunderstood (and Probably Oldest) Dish

[@OTRontheroad]

Alright, this week's locations: Mam Tom Yum: maps.app.goo.gl/dEW5xnKS6pTFAesG6 Tom Yum Banglamphu: maps.app.goo.gl/JqddGYzP1RGX9r6b6 Tom Kloang: maps.app.goo.gl/dKJDjSQuS9SGvSDJ7 Pork Knuckle Tom Yum: maps.app.goo.gl/YLAgFD7fZRhUY5zL8 Baan Daeng: maps.app.goo.gl/tzSUdBsvgvaDFwsa8 Tom Yum Kway Teow: maps.app.goo.gl/JM333B2otk93VC9g6 Jeh O Chula: maps.app.goo.gl/YGMMiHJSasPaMpMy8

[@emptyemptiness8372]

Tom yam = boiled salad....literally. As a long time thai resident and food history freak you have no idea how much joy your videos bring me. Thanx bro. When the waitress said she could remove the prik because farang struggle with spice .....I felt your pain and offense bro.

[@Brighteyes0131]

Thank you sm for these links! I've just moved back to BKK from the province and can't wait to go find all of these!

[@keepcalmlovedinosaurs8934]

I was brought up on tom yum. My go to soup! This is some proper quality content you've uploaded!

[@Bephuket]

It would be my pleasure to give you a more in-depth story about this dish Tom Yam Kung, which originally comes from the Thai Chawang cuisine... cuisine from the Royal Palace... the base was inspired from a Diplomatic mission where Thai ambassadors came back from France. The base was Bisque... Anyhow love your production and work. You can get more info with Kasertsart University about the history of Thai cuisine 😁

[@OTRontheroad]

I know that story but that's certainly not the origin of the dish! However- what you describe DID happen, and is responsible for a very specific version of Tom Yum Goong (but the dish itself already existed for centuries!). Feel free to be in touch, I'd be happy to be in touch with the University. My e-mail is [e-mail] and would always be happy to chat. Cheers! @@Bephuket

[@pratchhemapanpairo]

"Everything is better with 'moo krob'" is my new favourite cuisine quote!

[@skrible71]

Krapao moo krob, prik pao moo krob, kao pad moo krob. 'Nuff said.

[@HaradaCh]

@@skrible71 Moo krob pad pong karee

[@s0cc451]

speaking thai karaoke language are we

[@mek7333]

​@@HaradaChMoo krob Pad Prick kleua is also delicious

[@nickfury959]

It’s literally a religion, moo krob.

[@skrible71]

I can say easily say, when OTR uploads, I stop what I am doing and dedicate the next 30+ minutes to watch your incredible content.

[@OTRontheroad]

Thanks for such a kind message.

[@salsalogie]

😄

[@amphreded]

Tom yum is definitely not more touristy than Pad Thai. Tom Yum is eaten quite regularly when we go to seafood restaurant, tam-sang restaurant (ตามสั่ง), and is quite prevalent as a soup base for a lot of noodle shops.

[@imdtap1448]

My family from Suphan Buri. We eat tom yum, but not often. Pad Thai is one of those we order when we don't know what we want to order.

[@ririvespertine]

I’m thai but I never order Tom yum, it’s really a tourist dish where I currently live 😂 my family go for more kaengs.

[@imdtap1448]

@@ririvespertine แกงหน่อไม้น่ากินมากเลยอิๆๆๆ

[@imdtap1448]

@@mythai05 แน่นอนนะครับ

[@ririvespertine]

@@imdtap1448 Yes!!! aroy mak mak!!!

[@mr.cookie7308]

Im just blown away at the quality of your channel, you are like a private investigator that digs deep into the history and origins of these foods, and you go even deeper than what the people eating it, cooking it even know about the origins of the very food they are making a living from....simply amazing!!!! Rock on my man!

[@emptyemptiness8372]

I arrived in Thailand on a one way ticket with $400 in 1989....yeah, it was an adventure and the food changed my culinary life. The food was a bit different then.Still here at 57 yrs old.

[@dammeedee]

สมัยนั้นคงสนุกน่าดู สวัสดีคะ

[@ChineseKiwi]

do you recommend any food spots that re-create that older feel back in 1989? If so, let us know!!!

[@westoncox5983]

The amount of work you all put in is absolutely incredible. Always so damn good.

[@trinhthach3384]

As a history teacher and a foodie, I appreciate your deep dives in to the culinary delights of Thailand and other parts of the world!

[@mizalk]

Because of your videos, I have made my way to Thailand 3 times this year in search of food 😅.. Fourth trip in two months time. Thank you for being awesome!

[@OTRontheroad]

Nice! Would love to know any highlights from the places you've visited.

[@mizalk]

@@OTRontheroad will try and explore more on my next visit. 🙂 (maybe this time, the "after-midnight" food scene).. not much highlights from the previous visit except for the task of navigating to the eateries with a small group of friends; fortunately for me, transportation is great in Bangkok!

[@BiggysLetsPlays]

This might be a bit hoity-toity, but one distinction I'd add to enhance your appreciation of how flavor is balanced in Thai cuisine is called the "order of flavors." Basically it's which flavor hits first and what aftertaste follows. The best tom yums usually have an acid-heat-sweet profile, since sweetness cuts the heat and leaves you craving for another bite. In fact you can see how the flavor is ordered at 6:22, spicy from namprikpao and chili flakes, sour and aroma from lime juice, salty and savory from fish sauce, then sweet and creamy. There's actually a bit of science involved, but since sugar/milk is added last, the sweetness jumps out as a distinct flavor to counterbalance the others.

[@nitter93]

i love your videos because it makes me understand things I never even thought about. This is the food I grew up with so to me it's just regular food. It's amazing that it is considered special and worth studying by people from other cultures but at the same time it's just kind of weird but I cannot explain why. Anyway thank you for highlighting Lao and Thai culinary history I'm so happy that other people care about it because as a kid I was embarrassed about the food I ate and I would have to eat in secret. Today, I think people are more open-minded about food from different cultures which is great but I wish people were like that when I was younger

[@jonasrettig327]

Keep the good work up! I am half german half thai and I love your videos! Always shows me a bit of bkk where half of my family lives and also new places and stories i didn`t know!

[@semzip8558]

These videos never fail to impress me. Always airplay them to the TV because they’re just that good.

[@genoeckley3442]

Married to a Thai wife (for 34 years) and in fact moving back there in the Spring we both enjoyed this video a lot. All of your videos are informative. Like most Thai's she makes this dish regularly but you put a new twist on it.

[@maxhyper2863]

In the document, Tom Yum Pla appears in early 18th century in Khun Chang Khun Phaen Poets. Tom Klong existed in the late 19th century in early Siamese cookbooks. In the countryside, Tom Yum with snakehead fish and Red jungle fowl chicken are more popular than Prawn tom yum . Creamy Tom Yum is more of a local Bangkok style.

[@wire3989]

Clear beat creamy any day.

[@Cyan_Nightingale]

I love creamy tom yum

[@robertwilson2556]

Great video, as usual! Jaspar is so right about the number of varieties of som tum - we did a road trip around Isaan earlier in the year (highly recommended) and ate som tum nearly every day without eating the same thing twice. OTR has really changed my approach to travel, now my favourite thing to do in a new place is research what the local specialities are and find where I can eat them.

[@CBD7069..]

Adobo adaptation is interesting. Because native Filipinos extended shelf life of food often using salt, vinegar. Then the term adobo came, along with Chinese soy sauce. But native adobo in its truest form was cooked in a palayok, vinegar, salt, garlic. Also known as adobong puti

[@OTRontheroad]

That’s a very fair point and it’s like we mentioned in the Khanom Jeen video- names can be an unreliable reference by themselves.

[@jamesneilnovite3479]

Claimed by Filipino historians, Adobo is a pre-colonial food of the Philippines@@OTRontheroad

[@DizzyBusy]

Adobo is one of those foods with a complex history. Is it pre-Magellan or post-Magellan? Yes.

[@Fablopicassoii]

You make me learn a lot about the culinary history of my own country. Thank you

[@arieahree]

Since moving to the US, I both look forward and fear your newest uploads because they are always so interesting BUT I get so homesick hahaha. Keep up the good work! Can't wait to visit all these places when I come back in December 🥺

[@eswillie]

Good one, yet again. Basically, Tom Yum is what I do for brunch (I don't like breakfast per se) at least once or twice a week......soup with stuff, with most of the herbs and spices you mentioned and whatever else is on hand here. Always different, some better than others, and all satisfying. The place down on the Chao Phraya where you had that one version looked so much like where I ate most of my meals back in '69, and the version at Jay Oh Chula looked like real comfort food. Glad you mentioned Gary Butler (who's coming back at the end of the month) and also Pailin of Hot Thai Cooking who are two of my favorite food and cooking inspirations. Thanks for this one, I'm hoping the folks I share this to get some ideas.

[@pjacobsen1000]

Wow, that archival footage of Khaosan Rd. from 1996 really brings back the memories! And the development of the strip over the years has been remarkable. Even just from 1988, my first visit, to 2004, my last visit, was such a major change. In '88 about 2/3rds of the street were still local shops and even private residences mixed with a handful of small guesthouses, restaurants and tourist shops. By 1996 almost all of it was tourist related businesses. By 2004, many of the guesthouses facing the street had been demolished and replaced with multistory hotels. The small bars had become big nightclubs, and I think there was even a McDonald's. It's easy to get nostalgic, but I also love economic development!

[@gabbyfoo2]

Wow!!! Thank you for a big "Mind Boggling" repertoire in Tom Yum soup...all very good and well presented indeed. Mouth watering episode !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@KilanEatsandDrinks]

Here in Indonesia you can only find versions of tom yum as it is known outside of Thailand, but in Malaysia where they actually share borders with Thailand, locals have their own versions of the dish. Although there are Thai Malaysians who sell authentic tom yums, I’m talking specifically about the ones sold by Malay vendors. I actually prefer to have it with chicken (tom yum gai ต้มยำไก่) 😁Thais probably see these watered-down versions across the borders as abominations, but I actually like them as they taste more familiar to my palate 😂 Never had it but I get the feeling that that tom yum moo krob is going to be my new favorite, I guess I’m just gonna have to wait until my next trip to Thailand 🤤

[@mickbotcast]

Thai here...actually.... the one we fight esch other to dead over the receipt is not really Tomyum unless it is too westernize or the very traumatize one. It actually..... Pad Krapow.... where some heretic use non-compatible veggie inside and cause uproar

[@stsotika]

if you like tom yum gai i'm very sure you gonna love tom kha gai too 😂

[@KilanEatsandDrinks]

@@mickbotcast oh I didn’t know that. What kind of vegetables are not supposed to go in pad krapow?

[@KilanEatsandDrinks]

@@stsotika yes, of course I like tom kha gai and tom kha moo as well! These are the usual offering in Thai restaurants outside Thailand. The more difficult ones would be things like Isaan or Northern Thai food.

[@mickbotcast]

@@KilanEatsandDrinks actually most of the veggie that can affect overall taste or texture depend on person preference since the dish heavy rely on krapow and fried meat flavor but long bean has been a long time victim of conflict. Some actually did use them in receipt but spark a big debate several years ago

[@dynasty1910]

Thank you for all your content. Your videos are nsightful and entertaining. Moreover, the deep respect and appreciation for Thai and South East Asian cuisine alike, truly does resonate from your videos. You are a gem of a creator! Thanks heaps

[@tonytoronto1401]

Your videos make me feel whole every time - thank you OTR team!

[@OTRontheroad]

What a kind thing to say. Cheers!

[@SuperPromethee]

a version i found from a 100 year-old cookbook...it was actually, cooked or boiled spicy salad...they prepared salad first then put water, and then boil it...the 'traditional' version is a clear tomyum soup...not red with chilli paste or shrimps...the one my family has preserved until now...what is funny when i and my bros and found the red tomyum at a restaurant for the first time ...we got surprised...asking why our family cooked like that...haaa

[@OTRontheroad]

That’s wild- would love to see that recipe! I bet if we had a hundred family tom yum recipes they would all be unique.

[@kekgnome493]

may I know the name of the book? would really love to know the recipe!

[@SoulChocolate99]

❤ Ah yes, clear. That’s how my 88-YO father used to ‘home-make’ until he immigrated to North America! (And perhaps meeting my seafood-loving mother contributed to current iterations 🦐🍤🦐). Fascinating.

[@emptyemptiness8372]

​@@OTRontheroadif you want to access real thai recipes of family history, the food that was really eaten by locals look in the old funeral/memorial books thai middle class families used to produce when a family member died, in the books of the old dead aunties will be all her best recipes. David Thompson produced a whole cookbook based on those recipes.

[@OTRontheroad]

@@emptyemptiness8372 yup, I know his work well in developing the menu for Nahm and have used these old preserved recipes (when I can find them) as a resource, however it’s not 1000% in line with our own goals and somewhat limited in usefulness for us as it rarely helps to show the actual origin of something. But as a chef it’s absolutely fascinating and I have tons of respect for Chef Thompson, Chef Bo and others who use these for their own dish development

[@sayajinmamuang]

I believe Tom yum or tom klong is a real thai thai dish. Made from the old times of simple living. As a suggestion for your next video can you make a video about the origins of Gaeng Kiaw wan? I would love to see that. 😊

[@mr.cookie7308]

If you've ever had good Tom Yum, you will simply shed tears of amazement at this simple and unique dish. One of the best ones I've ever had was Tom Yum with dried fish near the Nam Ngum Resevior in Northern Central Laos. Pretty amazing where you find awesome food.

[@byebyeblue]

14:47 The truth has been spoken "everything is better with moo krob" and your day would ruin if you arrived at your favorite restaurant and the chef said "moo krob has sold out".

[@dereshi]

Some of the best and most profound experiences I've got while travelling was, because we strayed from pre planned itinaries. That's why I always prefer to explorer on foot. In those back alleys that you encounter by chance, we get a glimpse of the true flavour of a place.

[@up9038]

I m a Thai. My mom and I like going to the first Tom yum restaurant in the VDO (Tom Yum Goong Banglumpoo- The one with the old man wearing pink cooks in the VDO) Their Tom Yum Goong is always consistently so good. Their other dishes are so delicious too. The place does not have a good ambience at all. It is on the sidewalk. But it is one of favorite places to go for Tom Yum Goong and more. PS. Goong means prawns

[@MagicDragon]

Tom Yum that my mother has been making since I was a child. That is, the water will come out clear, without adding milk, adding anything messy, even chili paste. You only add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, crushed small bird's eye chilies, shrimp, and straw mushrooms. Seasoning is just lime, fish sauce, sprinkled with coriander, that's it. If you make it with just these seasonings, it will come out delicious. That is someone who is good at cooking.

[@gchow6009]

That’s how I make my Tom yum, too. Last year I was on a river cruise and ordered a Tom yum. To my surprise they brought out the creamy Tom yum. I was told I should have told them clear Tom yum which me a little upset and confused because tom yum I knew from my Thai friends in America is always clear with ingredients you mentioned only.

[@mayanoy88]

@@gchow6009 You may add "Nam Sai" "น้ำใส" after the name of Tom yum.

[@roseystone840]

😍 please invite me

[@nobody-mq6qi]

Just by a sheer mention of Tom Yum instantly makes my mouth watery .. Love it so much.... Aroi mak-mak

[@mdbizzarri]

I enjoy your dive into the history of the food, as well as the variations. I would love to see you create a recipe to add to the video. As always, your videos are well done, and I enjoy when they come out.

[@肉骨粉]

Tom yum kung (and the exported version at that) will probably be THE Thai dish for me forever, as it was my first love and is still something I can't go without for long. But you've certainly taught me a lot of dishes that I'll have to try next time I make it to Thailand!

[@feiryfella]

Me too! Its my comfort food!

[@somchai1025]

Another great addition to the long list of videos you guys put together, keep up the good work

[@davemeyers9425]

I just discovered your videos and have been plowing through them. Thank you for sharing all of this!

[@overloadpt1]

As a Thai, I would say this is probably the best Thai food documentary I have ever seen. Even better than the local media. 🙏🏻

[@linalam101]

Great background music, well researched documentary and excellent history and commentary! Keep up the superb work!

[@passisqwermnbv]

Tom Yum is definitely Thai local favorite. When Thais set a large group meal with whoever we generally try to get various kinds of food like stir fried, fried, soup, gentle, strong, spicy, etc to balance the meal. Tom Yum is pretty much the top pick for the soup. The table feels too dry and need something wet? Tom yum perhaps? Of course there are other soups. Like I prefer kang oom or tom zab from isan. But tom yum is pretty up there.

[@besouniveirs.1643]

Just wanted to say big thanks for referencing โชเล่ย์ ดอกกระโดน - was looking for his channel for the last two years. I've been watching his videos while living in Thailand but lost the channel name afterwards. I know his name is Cholei but couldn't find him no matter what. He's an amazing personality. Amazing video and research as always.

[@petea3810]

5 stars to your video. As a Bangkokian, I need to put this on my list.

[@mobylure]

The original of tomyum is consisted of Kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass with prefered meat (mostly fishes or seafood or chicken-beef or pork were not popular)then season with chilli fish sauce and lime juice. No milk chilli paste onion or any other veg included.

[@rudhthongvanit682]

Your passions for Thai foods are truly admirable.🤗🤗🤗

[@jamesd6375]

just found your channel and love! thanks so much for sharing the history of my birthplace. most of the time people on focus on how cheap things are etc. youre doing great work wish you nothing but success

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

I learned about global Thai not too long ago and think whoever came up with and or approved the program was very smart, and I'm sure it has introduced so many people to the Thai culture.

[@Blue_Lunacy]

One of my favorite Tom Yum Goong is from food court of Dental department of Chulalongkorn university in Siam Square area. Rich creamy taste, small shrimp instead of prawn, because they make it cheap for the university student. This stall menu was to paired the dish with soft omelette on rice. But I usually order just to soup to pair with other rice dish I ordered from another stall. The pork knuckle Tom Yum hit differently for me than Tom Yum Goong. Different feels that kinda sate different kind of craving.

[@adamchurvis1]

Adam, this video is both entertaining and informative, and it engaged me. Thanks for the excellence, sir.

[@mightyfishman]

I am SOOO thankful for this video. Just a few weeks ago, my sister (we're both from Germany) was telling me that she didn't like the restaurant I suggested. Because she ordered some "kuay tiew Tom yum" and it was way to sweet for her. Because she only knew the specific Tom yum goong soup our cousin (an isaan) was cooking for us (and she loved IT REALLY sour 🤤). So I can finally show her that Tom yum is not a single dish 🤣🤣🤣

[@quixotiq]

Yes! Have learned so much in this vid! Boiled stuff!

[@bobdavis1168]

Outstanding presentation and the music is really relaxing !!!

[@dazuotv]

Thank you for such a nice video about the oldest dishes 👍

[@GlitteratiLive]

Very interesting video, thank you. Living half in Thai culture, you have even corrected 2 things that I had picked up incorrectly. A Thai chef once explained to me that Thom Yum originates from a French chef trying to cook Bouillabaisse using Thai ingredients and failing, and Yum means ‘mix’ (not ‘salad’). Thanks again!

[@imoldgreggboosh3467]

A salad is a mixture . . .

[@Jumpoable]

Apparently something as simple as boiling INDIGENOUS INGREDIENTS in water STILL has to originate from farang... The level of self-loathing racism is just staggering in some people.

[@mr.cookie7308]

There are so many good and renown Thai dishes, its actually really difficult to call a top 3 or 5 or even 10. Its that good. But my top 5 would be: 1. Pha Kapao 2. Pad Thai 3. Boat Noodles 4. Papaya Salad 5. Tom Yum Soup

[@bangedagorilla]

Your content sir is absolutely binge-worthy. Kudos.

[@bacca71]

Some really nice tidbits in your presentation I was totally unaware of -- thanks for this. Always enjoy your nicely documented and educational videos. Living in Bangkok for many years in the 70s and 80s, we had many different versions of not only generic 'Tom Yum' soups, but a very wide variety of 'Tom Yum Kung' soups. One really good one in the early 80s was the one served in the old Tip Top restaurant on Patpong, near Napoleons or the Exec (forget which), which had the hands down spieciest (but very tasty) version I had in Thailand. There was another hole-in-the-wall restaurant, mid-80s, I found opposite the Suan Plu police station that was really different; tomato-based but still distinctively Tom yum kung, and another version without shrimp, but instead a variety of mushrooms: 'Tom Yum Het.' Indescribably good. So many kinds of Tom Yum (and 'Tom Ka' with the coconut milk base).

[@CyberMachine]

Was patpong always a bit shady?

[@bacca71]

@@CyberMachine Much less so in the 70s & 80s. Thai Room for dining (up to the mid 80s, then it went downhill), the original Red Door for Shanghai Noodles, the original Napoleon's for lunch and jazz in the evenings. Of course 'shady' was always there , but there were some great places where the office went for lunch (mixed company) or an evening for some good jazz with your farang wife - and all inexpensive.

[@TheLadyinblack1989]

Try chicken tom yum soup with young tamarine leaves (ต้มยำไก่บ้าน ใบมะขามอ่อน). It's divine 😊😊😊 Some sneaky cooks may even threw in canabis leaves into the broth for a CBD kick. Also, don't miss Poh Taek (โป๊ะแตก) it's combination of seafoods in a constantly boiling pot of clear tom yum soup and holy basil. It's super hot and super spicy.

[@bigjohnbriggs]

My personal take on tom yum, is it's best used as a palate switchup alongside other foods, so I really only order it in a group setting here in Thailand. Tom yum nam sai though I can eat all the time as it's less rich, and that chinese noodle take on it is a guilty pleasure alongside some nam soup gaduk (bone soup) at a local place. Thanks for showing different delicious kinds.

[@janmcleod6727]

Enjoyed the depth of historical & geographical & culinary & sociological insight, thanx!

[@endangeredmarmot4518]

I'm really enjoying your channel - you guys do great deep dives with excellent production values. Also - I always wondered why overseas Thai restaurants tend to be pretty ho-hum compared to the variety and quality in Thailand itself. I now know that it's because of a standardization associated to the culinary diplomacy. Thanks!

[@schellmann]

This is great. I learn a lot from your videos

[@williamwatterson8711]

An excellent, well narrated video. Thanks!

[@jc987ful]

Tom kloang is delicious once you get past its smell, the bottom of any soup is always the spiciest I always wondered why winter melon (pak fuhk - found in khoa mun gai broth) was never used in tom dishes; I’ve asked a few Thais and the best response given so far has something to do with different cooking times. I just think it would work well in a Tom soup.

[@CyberMachine]

I will try it

[@puma2334]

15:35 last week was all rain, but the heaviest was definitely on Tuesday, it was so heavy that we could barely see the car ahead of us.

[@OTRontheroad]

Yup, this was filmed on Tuesday.

[@tyionallen6357]

This is amazing footage of Asian food knowledge. Thank you for sharing 👊🏽

[@araarashinigami]

First time viewer, watched till the end, sub. I love food history and while I like tom yum, it's just another dish for me. When I think Thai food, I remember in the 90's hitting up late night Thai diners in North Hollywood for Thai boat noodles after clubbing -- comfort Thai food for Thai people. Blood soup's not something most Westerners would order... Your digging into the history is what kept me watching. The most interesting part of the whole video for me was learning that the government subsidized Thai restaurants overseas as well as created standardized menus. That's some long term big brain thinking. I look forward to seeing what else you have to offer, and I'm surprised your sub count is so low considering the quality of the content.

[@Topstrav]

If you want to try tomyum soup same with Jae-O, just buy instant noodles name "Mama Tomyum" in convenience store. this restaurant just put more topping on it, luxury version of noodles.

[@DongYiLy]

Thank you for a such beautiful and educational presentation. I enjoyed it so much.

[@hexaet]

Always learn so much, thank you. (great to see a glimpse of Pailin too !)

[@bn5445]

I love that Thailand uses forks and spoons western style. Very tourist friendly. And it has been part of the culture for many years.

[@prechabahnglai103]

As somewhat of an usual Tom Yum enjoyer myself, there do exists bad Tom Yum around even here in Thailand. If you are new to a restaurant and is not sure between thick or thin soup, thin usually is the safer bet as it is harder to mess up thin Tom Yum. And while it is acceptable to add tomatoes, garlic and shallots to Tom Yum. Please don’t go crazy on the mushrooms. Just use simple mushrooms.

[@thenamesandriguel]

Filipino Adobo is not a variation of a Portuguese stew. “Adobo” was a name used by Spaniards to describe a vinegar based stew that they were served by natives when they arrived in the Philippines. Said stew was marinated in vinegar, thus being described as “adobar” or marinated.

[@jimmytan2199]

OMG.. Another great research on tom yum... Keep it up OTR

[@DizzyBusy]

Tom Kloang looks so much like Kuah Asang from Manado (North Sulawesi), except for the fish. We use fresh fish and instead of bilimbi (belimbing wuluh), we use limes. Bilimbi is native to Maluku, but for some reason we use limes for this particular soup.

[@ImPapaRon]

Tom yum, i realized, is like our Sinigang. There's also a lot of variation of sinigang in every town and province and with every family and individual preparing it. Yum!!! But i love Mixed Seafood Tom Yum with coconut milk and red Thai chilli paste.

[@agzabatmd]

Chili pepper came from the New World (from Chile). So, it's a new addition to the Tom Yum. So, the original Tom Yum did not contain chili peppers. Funny, when I was in Thailand, in a restaurant we ordered Tom Yum soup but with no peppers. The cook came to our table and protested that Tom Yum without chili peppers is NOT Tom Yum. So, I said, just a little, and he agreed and gave us one of the hottest, spicy Tom Yum soup I ever had.

[@OTRontheroad]

This video explains that the original endemic ingredients were galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime. Please feel free to watch our full video on the history of the chili pepper for the full story of how they reached Thailand.

[@nickchi1910]

Guys, i truly love you for what you do, thank you!

[@apijitchaichana1982]

nice information, good videos to watch , love you work

[@abmong]

"You cannot eat spicy right?" Adam's face: That cuts deep 🤣🤣🤣

[@gnk237]

Absolutely Great Work

[@samkeino6810]

Love your channel! I can’t eat UNdeveined shrimp, since the shrimp vein is actually poop. Do any Thai places serve deveined shrimp?

[@feiryfella]

My favourite Thia dish! I really miss straw mushrooms. I didn't like them at first, but I grew to adore them. Tom Kha Goog is the creamy version iirc.

[@siamiam4306]

Another great detailed production. As for Tom Yum, it's always been a hit and miss for me because of the disparity how it's prepared, and I prefer the creamy coconut infusion. I usually just skip this option while in Thailand.

[@JPspinFPV]

That Honda NSR in the background of the VHS video at the beginning is very cool.

[@petercorazo]

Great content as usual. Just a bit of a comment on the bit of about Filipino adobo being a variation of a Portuguese stew, it’s been established that it is an indigenous dish given a Spanish name. Andy Cooks has a good video on the history of Filipino Adobo.

[@woraphotk]

just amazing work as always!

[@Drunk3nMonk3y72]

I used to eat Tom Yum Gai and Goong with a small bowl of rice and the chilli tray most days for breakfast when I stayed in Bangkok for 6 months. It is one of my favourite things to eat. There was another soup that we used to eat at the end of a night out on the Sukhumvit rd that was absolutely delicious. Im sure they called it street soup. It came with a clay pot and burner and you had a chioce of what meats you wanted. Miss those days and nights

[@nutterz641]

That is probably JimJum. Very nice.

[@Drunk3nMonk3y72]

@@nutterz641 no it was Tom yum. Either chicken or prawn. What ever I fancied that day. I put the rice in myself. I used to have it every day for breakfast. Spicy start to the day

[@nutterz641]

@Drunk3nMonk3y72 Yes lovely start. But I was talking about the dish you had in the evening.

[@Drunk3nMonk3y72]

Ok thank you I will look for itand see @@nutterz641

[@xsdfl4244]

This is really one of the best youtube channel to watch while eating.

[@foodhistory1387]

So happy to see TYG Banglamphu is still going! Haven't been able to pop by since 2020 - Happy days!!

[@henrifischer1119]

damn, now I need to watch all your content. It's so good, missing a single second makes me go back three.

[@sts0868]

What a great video again - i cant wait to have a Tom Yum in Bangkok in November!!!

[@wichaipongthadaporn2026]

In the past 50 years ago, in the revers and canals of central region of Thailand, we can very easily catching many big prawn in the canal or river in front of our house. So you can imagine how easily the Tom Yum (clear soup version) was created. For Tom Klong soup, it was created to cooks this soup for summer season which our canal or river were drought and very difficult to find fresh fish and fresh big prawns. I think the thick soup version of the Tom Yum was created around 40 years ago because when I was young I never saw or eat it before.

[@yothiga]

I heard from my Thai grandfather that when he was very young, he cried because he wanted to eat pork and his father just drag him to catch shrimp to eat everyday.

[@jlee104]

another amazingly researched episode!

[@NanChirayukool]

I never see tom yum moo krob before and it made me super hungry. That last place is also pure torture to watch! I really want to know how you research most of these stuff? Thai don't keep much of the written records and many things on the internet is hard to fact check. p.s. Another kind of tom yum that is a pure guilty pleasure to me is tom yum flavour crisp. Or breaking dry instant noodle and mix with tom yum oil and flavouring. Many Thai children grow up with this snacks.

[@atthaero2382]

Great video mate!

[@jmcosmos]

16:31 OK, laughing SOOO hard at the kok hong pochang segment using "Wade in the Water, Children" as its music bed!

[@OTRontheroad]

Was hoping someone might catch that

[@bloomintokyoseoul]

Great footage of various Tom Yums...however don't know what to do with statements like 'Tom Yam has outlasted almost every other dish on Earth'

[@sfalpha]

Also another Tom Yum variant unique to Eastern Thailand that use Cardamon (Kra Wan), usually prepared with Fish meat or sea food.

[@niello5944]

It's a shame there are so many local Thai food that never got popular overseas even though some are arguably even better. That said, even now and then I'd come across some local dish I had no idea exist even though I've lived here my whole live. And that's not counting the surprise that comes from the variety in some types of dish.

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

Amazing channel. I have been deleting all my culinary channels but I am adding this one.