Tom kha kai, tom kha gai, or Thai coconut soup[1][2][3] (Thai: ต้มข่าไก่, pronounced [tôm kʰàː kàj]; lit. 'chicken galangal soup') is a spicy and sour hot soup with coconut milk in Thai cuisine.
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Alternative names | Chicken coconut soup, galangal soup |
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Type | Soup |
Place of origin | Thailand and Laos |
Associated national cuisine | Thailand and Laos |
Serving temperature | hot |
Main ingredients | Coconut milk, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, mushrooms and chicken |
In Thailand, most tom kha kai recipes typically include coconut milk, galangal (sometimes substituted with ginger), kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chili, coriander (or dill), straw mushrooms (or shiitake or other mushrooms), chicken, fish sauce, and lime juice. Fried chilies are sometimes added.[4]
In a Thai-style tom kha kai, dill weed is not used, whereas in a Lao-style tom kha kai, dill weed (phak si, Lao: ຜັກຊີ) is used. Dill weed is a common herb which is used in Lao cuisine. The Thais' answer to dill weed (known in Thailand as phak chi Lao (Thai: ผักชีลาว), since it is known locally as a Lao herb) in Thai tom kha is coriander or cilantro (phak chi, Thai: ผักชี).
There are other versions of tom kha kai made with seafood (tom kha thale, Thai: ต้มข่าทะเล), mushrooms (tom kha het, Thai: ต้มข่าเห็ด), pork (tom kha mu, Thai: ต้มข่าหมู) and tofu (tom kha taohu, Thai: ต้มข่าเต้าหู้).
In the late 19th century, tom kha was not a soup. It was a dish of chicken or duck simmered in a light coconut broth with a generous amount of galangal. It was then served with a basic roasted chili jam as a dipping relish.[5]
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Lao cuisine | |
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