Most people like a good tom yum, but do you prefer your soup clear or creamy?

I order depending on my particular mood, but if forced to choose I think I'd have to go with clear, although I have a feeling creamy will come out on top.

I don't know the history but I'm guessing the clear variety is the original?

Sorry if this has ever been been brought up before but I did a search for ''tom yum'' and got no results!

Edited April 28, 200917 yr by sbk
poll added

I'm with you. I think the clear variety is better. It's probably a lot healthier too.

Clear sour and spicy

Creamy is yucky especially coconut milk

Edited April 27, 200917 yr by thesunset75

Creamy is the only way to go. Clear ick....

Clear - Aow Sap Sap!!!

Sometimes I add a touch of coconut milk, but its clearly not as good...

Aloha

Clear - Aow Sap Sap!!!

Sometimes I add a touch of coconut milk, but its clearly not as good...

Aloha

Where is the poll?

Clear - Aow Sap Sap!!!

Sometimes I add a touch of coconut milk, but its clearly not as good...

Aloha

Where is the poll?

nam sai is good. po tek is better.

Clear - Aow Sap Sap!!!

Sometimes I add a touch of coconut milk, but its clearly not as good...

Aloha

may i ask why you would want finely chopped soup?

Neither, I don't like Tom Yum. Hate when it's ordered, I always have to eat again after to get full.

Clear is not tom yum, or yom either, it's Po Tak. Add coconut milk and it becomes tom kha. I know, it's nitpicking but I am bored, AND sober on Monday night. All of the them are wonderful.

Definitely creamy Tom Yam for me, but it must have a healthy dose of chillies in it. And Tom Yam Talay is the best version of Tom Yam - mixed seafood Tom Yam. A very good Thai dish when it's done well.

Edited April 27, 200917 yr by dantilley

actually 'tom yum' with coconut milk and 'tom kha' are different things

moving this to the foodie forum

I like it with a shot of coconut milk.

Gerd

I like it clear, and so sour it makes you suck your cheeks in.

Clear is not tom yum, or yom either, it's Po Tak. Add coconut milk and it becomes tom kha. I know, it's nitpicking but I am bored, AND sober on Monday night. All of the them are wonderful.

This is NOT correct. Po tak is a different soup.

Tom kha yes has coconut milk but has a bigger emphasis on GALANGAL.

CLEAR tom yum is indeed real tom yum, and then there is the creamier version of tom yum, which is different than tom kha because of a very rich, special tom yum specific CHILI PASTE that is added that would never be in tom kha:

"Tom Yum" has hot and sour flavours and have a touch of herbal ingredients. There are basically two kinds: the first one is called Tom Yum Num Sai, which is basically the soup with all the main ingredients in it; the second one is called Tom Yum Num Khon, which is prepared the same way BUT has two additional ingredients: Coconut Milk and Thai Chili Paste. The second one is the less popular one, so I'll just guide you through the first one.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Thai-Food-Recipes

This is one source but have read the same thing in multiple places.

I like them both, but I find when I order it spicy I usually get the paste version. If you want to be sure to get what you want, clear or not, use the terms in the quote to order. Tom Yum Num Khon is traditionally made with SHRIMP.

The special paste is called nam prik pow. You will not find it in the clear soup. I find in real life you often get the soup made richer with paste, but no coconut milk! Fine with me.

The clear soup has a cleaner taste and can be made as spicy as you like with Thai peppers. It is also healthier because of no oil or coconut milk.

Edited April 27, 200917 yr by Jingthing

Clear is not tom yum, or yom either, it's Po Tak. Add coconut milk and it becomes tom kha. I know, it's nitpicking but I am bored, AND sober on Monday night. All of the them are wonderful.

BOTH clear and milky versions ARE tom yum. In Po Tek you add holly basil leaves to flavor.

The Scholar and Astrologer Prayoon Uroochata (Born 1921) said that Tom Yum originated during the Ratanakosin period, which began with the founding of Bangkok as the capital in 1782. However there was no mentioning of shrimp tom yam only the fish version... thats probably because of availability....

hth

Edited April 27, 200917 yr by aircut

Clear is not tom yum, or yom either, it's Po Tak. Add coconut milk and it becomes tom kha. I know, it's nitpicking but I am bored, AND sober on Monday night. All of the them are wonderful.

BOTH clear and milky versions ARE tom yum. In Po Tek you add holly basil leaves to flavor.

The Scholar and Astrologer Prayoon Uroochata (Born 1921) said that Tom Yum originated during the Ratanakosin period, which began with the founding of Bangkok as the capital in 1782. However there was no mentioning of shrimp tom yam only the fish version... thats probably because of availability....

hth

as i said in my post earlier, clear tom yam is called nam sai.

Clear is not tom yum, or yom either, it's Po Tak. Add coconut milk and it becomes tom kha. I know, it's nitpicking but I am bored, AND sober on Monday night. All of the them are wonderful.

This is NOT correct. Po tak is a different soup.

Tom kha yes has coconut milk but has a bigger emphasis on GALANGAL.

CLEAR tom yum is indeed real tom yum, and then there is the creamier version of tom yum, which is different than tom kha because of a very rich, special tom yum specific CHILI PASTE that is added that would never be in tom kha:

"Tom Yum" has hot and sour flavours and have a touch of herbal ingredients. There are basically two kinds: the first one is called Tom Yum Num Sai, which is basically the soup with all the main ingredients in it; the second one is called Tom Yum Num Khon, which is prepared the same way BUT has two additional ingredients: Coconut Milk and Thai Chili Paste. The second one is the less popular one, so I'll just guide you through the first one.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Thai-Food-Recipes

This is one source but have read the same thing in multiple places.

I like them both, but I find when I order it spicy I usually get the paste version. If you want to be sure to get what you want, clear or not, use the terms in the quote to order. Tom Yum Num Khon is traditionally made with SHRIMP.

The special paste is called nam prik pow. You will not find it in the clear soup. I find in real life you often get the soup made richer with paste, but no coconut milk! Fine with me.

The clear soup has a cleaner taste and can be made as spicy as you like with Thai peppers. It is also healthier because of no oil or coconut milk.

Very strange that the guy in the link explains the whole recipe of the clear tom yum kung and then at the bottom posts a picture of the creamy version.At least very confusing.

Back to topic,for me the creamy one at anytime over the clear version and preferable with chicken or fish.

Bouth Ok but if I had to go for one over the other CLEAR as the edge for me

For Them folks that want the Healthy Lifestyle it as to be Clear.

And Where is The Poll ?

clear tom yam is called nam sai.

Nam sai describes the TYPE of tom yum that it is.

Creamy with the nam prik paow is the only way.

The clear just uses lemon grass, lemon juice and fresh little chilies.

I can only find the creamy kind in Thailand while the clear kind I can find in Thai restaurants all over the world.

I think the nam prik paow is very difficult to make and export.

nam prik paow is easily available in the US at most urban Asian markets.

But I get your point, there are really three kinds of tom yum generally speaking:

clear

clear with nam prik paow

with nam prik paow AND coconut milk

Of course, there are varieties of meats in the dish, veggie even, chicken sometimes, mixed seafood is popular as well as the most common shrimp.

Edited April 28, 200917 yr by Jingthing

Clear is common in the South, I can eat both but prefer clear. It is healthier and has sharper flavors that complement the seafood but don't overwhelm it.

nam prik paow is easily available in the US at most urban Asian markets.

But I get your point, there are really three kinds of tom yum generally speaking:

clear

clear with nam prik paow

with nam prik paow AND coconut milk

Of course, there are varieties of meats in the dish, veggie even, chicken sometimes, mixed seafood is popular as well as the most common shrimp.

Sorry to disagree

clear with nam prik paow is only found in Thai restaurants abroad. Every culinary study about tom yum divide it into ONLY TWO CATEGORIES clear and milky. the wired clear soup with the floating oil of the roasted chilli paste was born in the west as a result from using instant preparations and they neglacted to add the milk.

in most restuarants today the milky tom yum is from milk and not cocunut milk. you can still get the old fashioned (pre WWII) in some places, but than you would ask for Tom Yam Katee.....

for what its worth

I have definitely gotten clear made richer with a spicy oily paste in Thailand many times and sometimes I cannot detect any milk of any kind in this preparation. So yes I could be wrong as I didn't watch them make it.

Tom Yum got sour and salt taste little bit spicy. Original recipe don't add coconut milk and chilies paste. and the secret way to cook TOM Yum Goong was

1. Do not add galangal in Tom Yum Goong because galangal will make Tom Yum soup unpleasant to the taste, galangal use only in Tom Yum Pla(Tom Yum with fish) to get rid of the fish smell.

2. Add lemongrass while water get to simmering point to otherwise Tom Yum soup will have green color.

Just some information from my cook book.

Edited June 15, 200917 yr by sunisa