Day 3 – Tom Yum (the soup that defines Thai flavor)

Third day of learning Thai cooking on Koh Phangan and today we cooked one of the most iconic dishes in Thailand: Tom Yum soup.

Before coming here I had eaten Tom Yum many times in different countries, but Julie explained something interesting at the beginning of the class:

“Most restaurants outside Thailand make Tom Yum too heavy. The real soup is about aroma and balance.”

At Chilli Cooking Class every student prepares their own dish, so we started by building the base of the soup from fresh ingredients.

On the table today were:

• lemongrass

• galangal

• kaffir lime leaves

• fresh chili

• lime

• mushrooms

• shrimp

• Thai chili paste

• fish sauce

Julie showed us the first step: the aromatic base.

Instead of just throwing ingredients into boiling water, we lightly crushed the lemongrass and galangal so the oils would release into the broth.

The moment those ingredients hit the hot water the entire kitchen smelled incredible.

Tom Yum – simplified recipe from today’s class

Ingredients:

• water or light stock

• lemongrass (cut and lightly crushed)

• galangal slices

• kaffir lime leaves

• shrimp or chicken

• mushrooms

• Thai chili paste (Nam Prik Pao)

• fish sauce

• lime juice

• fresh chili

Steps:

1. Bring water to a gentle boil.

2. Add lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves to create the aromatic base.

3. Add mushrooms and shrimp.

4. Stir in Thai chili paste.

5. Season with fish sauce.

6. Turn off the heat and finish with fresh lime juice and chili.

Julie emphasized something important: lime juice always goes in last. If it boils too long, the fresh sour flavor disappears.

One thing I noticed again today: even though everyone in the class used the same ingredients, every bowl of Tom Yum tasted slightly different.

Some people made it more sour, some more spicy.

Julie walked around the kitchen tasting everyone’s soup and giving small adjustments.

“More lime.”

“Less fish sauce.”

“Add chili if you like spicy.”

After three days here I’m starting to understand something about Thai cooking:

It’s not about copying a recipe exactly. It’s about learning how to balance sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors.

Tomorrow we are making Som Tam — the famous Thai papaya salad that Julie says is one of the most addictive street food dishes in Thailand.

If anyone traveling to Koh Phangan is looking for a Thai cooking class, this is where I’m learning:

Chilli Cooking Class

126/29 Moo 1 Koh Phangan

Website: phangancookingclass.com

WhatsApp: +66 979925590

This place actually has a 4.9⭐ rating with more than 300 reviews on Google Maps, which is why I decided to try it when I arrived on the island.