Traditional Tom Yum Goong Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium-sized FRESH shrimps
1 tablespoon shallots (skin removed)
1 cup chicken broth

1 stalk of smashed lemon grass
1/2 table spoon lime juice
3 lime leaves (center vein removed)

1 tablespoon of sliced galangal

1/2 table spoon coriander
1/2 coriander roots

1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/4 cup straw mushroom

1 tablespoon smashed Thai chilies
a drop of chili paste (your choice)
2 small roasted chillies

pinch of salt (depending on your level of salt)
a drop of fish sauce (your choice)
1 and 1/2 tablespoon milk

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the broth.
2. After rapid boiling, add the lime leaves, lemon grass stalks, lime leaves, galangals, tomatoes and shallots for 5 minutes.

* Meanwhile, boil the mushroom in plain water.

3. Once the herbs reveal the taste, add the shrimp and pinch of salt.
4. Add the mushroom to the soup.
5. Wait until the shrimp turns orange.
6. Add the fish sauce.
7. Remove from the heat.
8. Add lime juice, chili paste, smashed fresh chillies.

* For milk version:
Mix milk, dried chillies, and additional of fish sauce and lime if needed.

9. Serve the soup hot.

Tom Yum Goong is best served in a traditional Thai serving pot to keep the spices alive and the aroma all over the place.

Thailand’s Tom Yum Goong

Unlike other ethnic recipe, Tom Yum Goong is widely accepted by other countries especially United States. Perhaps, its familiar flavor including shrimp, chili and herbs make it easy for other nations to enjoy this viand despite first encounter.

Usually, this distinctly hot soup is served on traditional bowl, which has aluminum tube releasing fire to keep the dish boiling. Thai enjoys Tom Yum when it is hot.

Indeed, this soup is about collaboration of different tastes. A basic Tom Yum Goong requires 14 ingredients of distinct tastes including herbs and grasses.

Today, tourists can enjoy this from hundreds of restaurants in the country. It is also a celebrated flavor among instant noodles.

* Get the recipe from here: Tom Yum Goong Recipe

Philippines' Ginisang Bagoong

Every time a Filipino leaves the country, he will sure miss this salty sautéed shrimp paste. Why, because no one from other country would permit him to cook this paste anywhere. Yes, ginisang bagoong has the strong smell that could irritate someone who has never smelled this for his entire life.

However, ginisang bagoong can spare one from health-hazard artificial preservatives. It is carefully kept by salt, which allows it to last up to a year.
While many enjoy incorporating this to other dishes such as ginisang gulay, pinakbet, kare-kare and binagoongan, nothing can beat its partnership with green mango. Ginisang bagoong can create this amazing sweetness when combined with mouth-watering sourness of unripe mango.

While ginisang bagoong is known for its salty taste, many prefers to add some element to make it a little bit sweet and spicy.

The difficulty of understanding why Filipino enjoys ginisang bagoong despite its strong taste and smell perhaps mirrors why it is difficult for men from other country to understand a Filipina and yet marry her.