# Thai coconut soup **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366 "2007-03-24T22:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/21 "2007-03-25T06:38:43Z")
I should add, too, that “tom” is the word they use for “soup” or “broth” (no distinction between the two in Thai), I guess because soup IS boiled. Pronounced with a long O as in “boat,” and the T is more like a D sound. It’s actually somewhere between our D and T, a sound we don’t have, but you’re more correct pronouncing it like a D than a T. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/22 "2007-03-25T13:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] I see it’s already been answered, but I’ll verify and give the usual spelling over here: Tom Kha Kai. “Tom” is “boiled” or “to boil.” “Kai” is “chicken.” “Kha” usually means “leg,” but I’m not certain if it’s always chicken leg in it. Always chicken, though; I don’t think I’ve ever seen it with tofu here. [/QUOTE] It’s never on the menu like that–I have to ask for it (since I don’t eat chicken) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/23 "2007-03-25T13:32:35Z")
Yet again to my American friends: it’s Worcestershire. Pronounced “wuss-ter-shur”. Not “Wor **ch** estershire”. So what’s the difference between Thom Yum and Thom Kha? (Anyway I thought the soup was called “cream of sum yung gai”… Sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/24 "2007-03-25T14:12:58Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] LA LA LA LA LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU LA LA LA LA LA LA LA [/QUOTE] I made the mistake of tasting some from the bottle. Tastes like salty rotten aquarium sludge. Now I think I can taste it in the food…I’ll try the simple recipe and keep the chicken. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/25 "2007-03-25T14:41:26Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] So what’s the difference between Thom Yum and Thom Kha? [/QUOTE] The coconut milk for one. Tom yum is more of a spicy broth, not exactly clear, but not milky, while tom kha kai is coconut milk. Tom yum is often called tom yum kung, “kung” meaning shrimp, and there’s also other bits of seafood usually, while tom kha kai is mainly chicken, or I guess tofu in some of the US restaurants from what I’m reading here. (My wife just remarked that a lot of farangs, or Westerners, like to be vegetarians these days. Actually, Thai vegetarians are few in number; I don’t think I know a single one.) And in tom yum, there’s a lot of stuff that flavors the broth, but you can’t eat it. Like lemon grass and kaffir lime peels. I don’t know how blind people eat tom yum, because they’ll have to be spitting out all this stuff that you just can’t chew, let alone swallow. You clean the bowl when eating tom kha kai, leaving nothing behind. My wife was just telling me that the “kha” in tom kha kai does not mean “leg”. Different tone. (See? Even now, I’m always learning something new.) It’s some sort of gingerlike herb, but not ginger itself. (Ginger is “king,” with the K pronounced more like a G.) Kha is in both tom yum and tom kha kai. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/26 "2007-03-25T14:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Yet again to my American friends: it’s Worcestershire. Pronounced “wuss-ter-shur”. Not “Wor **ch** estershire”. [/QUOTE] This American has you bested, and pronounces it “wooster.” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/27 "2007-03-25T15:01:31Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] This American has you bested, and pronounces it “wooster.” [/QUOTE] Well, to be strictly correct “Worcester” is the town, but “Worcestershire” is the county and the sauce. However, venacularilarilifically, “Wooster” is acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/28 "2007-03-25T15:13:01Z")
Leaving out the galangal and fish sauce makes it something other than _Tom Kha_ in my opinion. _Kha_ is galangal. To me it would be tantamount to making French onion soup and using oh, rutabagas instead of onions. A good _Tom Kha_ is about _rot chart_, the balance of flavors that Thais prize above all else in their cuisine. You can end up with a creamy soup that has chicken or whatever and some lemongrass but it will be sadly lacking in depth of flavor. I use an old recipe of David Thompson, the finest Thai culinary historian/recipe collector alive imho. Tom Kha 1c coconut cream 2c coconut milk 1 stalk lemongrass crushed pretty well and cut into large 4-6" pieces 4 shallots crushed 10 slices young galangal - use fresh, it looks like ginger but larger and darker. If you can only find pickled, rinse it then steep in water that has had sugar added for about 5-10 minutes. 2 cilantro roots _Not the greens_ 5 kaffir lime leaves torn up roughly if you cannot find them fresh, do NOT substitute, the frozen or dried ones are awful. 1 tsp salt 2 Tbs fish sauce 2 Tbs lime juice, fresh only! 1 Tbs palm sugar or Sugar in the Raw if you cant find the Palm. handful of small green chilis to taste 1/4c fresh cilantro leaves. protein of choice Bring the coconut cream and milk to a boil. Crush the lemongrass and shallots in a mortar and pestle. Add the lemongrass, galangal, shallots, cilantro root, kaffir lime leaves, salt and chicken/crab/tofu/duck/oyster mushrooms/etc. but NOT shrimp and simmer for about ten minutes Add the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and chillis and stir. I add shrimp at this point as I hate overcooked shrimp. Serve with the cilantro leaves on top right before you eat it. I sometimes shred some Thai Basil and add that but not often as I moslty serve this iwth a curry that has the basil already. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/29 "2007-03-25T15:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] And in tom yum, there’s a lot of stuff that flavors the broth, but you can’t eat it. Like lemon grass and kaffir lime peels. [/quote] Simple to remove them once the soup is done. > [@](#): > > My wife was just telling me that the “kha” in tom kha kai does not mean “leg”. Different tone. (See? Even now, I’m always learning something new.) It’s some sort of gingerlike herb, but not ginger itself. It’s [galangal](http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/galangal.html) that I was unable to find before (our Chinatown might be more useful). I used fresh ginger and didn’t find the taste much different from restaurant soup at all. [QUOTE=Rodgers01] Ah, Tom Kha Gai (as Wikipedia has it, for whatever that’s worth.) My all-time favorite soup. I was obsessed with this stuff a couple years ago, and tried to make it at home. I don’t remember what recipe I used, but it was a disaster. I think it was because I used some substitutes for ingredients I couldn’t find. Even though the recipe allowed it, I think that’s what ruined my soup. So if at all possible, try to get as many of the original ingredients as you can. [/QUOTE] I found that using regular ginger and regular lime zest didn’t hurt it, but I don’t think it would taste anything like it should without lemongrass. IMHO that’s the vital ingredient to impart that perfect taste. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/30 "2007-03-25T15:33:05Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Simple to remove them once the soup is done. [/QUOTE] What? Gee, I’ve never seen anyone do THAT. It’s always spooned out ito your bowl with everything else, and then you leave it behind after eating everything else around it. Something about it keeps flavoring the broth. Galangel, yes, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/31 "2007-03-25T15:48:27Z")
Yeah your bowl should be chock full of lemongrass, shallots ( I love those), lime leaves and other fibrous stuff that gives the soup its’ distinctive flavor. Just leave it in the bowl when you’re done. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/32 "2007-03-25T17:23:11Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] or I guess tofu in some of the US restaurants from what I’m reading here.. [/QUOTE] No, as I’ve said, I have to ask for it special. It isn’t offered that way. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/33 "2007-03-25T19:12:01Z")
I’ve seen it offered with tofu at a few places but Chicago is blessed with some of the finest Thai restaurants in the US. Traditionally, mud crabs are used, but for some reason 'Merkins prefer Chicken:) I’ve also made a version with Thai eggplant and dried prawns that was to die for. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/34 "2007-03-25T19:48:43Z")
For a shortcut, consider using a canned base. Once I started looking, it was suprisingly easy to find Maesri products even at non-ethnic groceries. Her’s what the can looks like: > **[asiamarket1.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=asiamarket1.com)** > > Customer service is our #1 priority. Get a premium domain for your website today. Financing available. Note: it does contain a bit of [fish sauce.](http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/maesri-tom-kha-gai-soup-lightly-hot-and-sour-coconut-milk-soup-with-natural-herbs-canned-45897.htm) I also kinda dispute the fat content and calorie content listed there. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/35 "2007-03-26T04:56:37Z")
[QUOTE=MikeG] I’ve seen it offered with tofu at a few places but Chicago is blessed with some of the finest Thai restaurants in the US. Traditionally, mud crabs are used, but for some reason 'Merkins prefer Chicken:) I’ve also made a version with Thai eggplant and dried prawns that was to die for. [/QUOTE] Few people believe me, but the hands-down best Thai restaurant I’ve found in the US is in Lubbock, Texas, of all places. Owned and operated by a retired Bangkok kick-boxer. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/36 "2007-03-26T10:41:43Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] You know that Worcestershire sauce is a fish sauce, too? [/QUOTE] Not all of them; IIRC there’s at least one vegetarian brand. And from my recollection, Worcestershire sauce is more like a “sauce with a little anchovy flavoring” compared to fish sauce which much better suits the name. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/37 "2007-03-26T17:41:56Z")
Siam Sam, I’d love to know the name of the Thai place in Lubbock! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366/38 "2007-03-27T04:02:08Z")
[QUOTE=MikeG] Siam Sam, I’d love to know the name of the Thai place in Lubbock! [/QUOTE] It’s on the corner of 19th Street and Avenue X, in what used to be an old hamburger stand. In the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store, although I don’t know if the 7-Eleven would still be there. This was the first Thai restaurant in Lubbock. Then, from what I heard, various members of his extended family who joined him started opening a few others around the city. Belonged to them, not him, but all in the family. For instance, I remember one that was opened inside a converted 7-Eleven store (no matter what you do to it, a 7-Eleven always seems still to look like a 7-Eleven) on … I think Quaker Avenue just off of 50th Street? That place was good, too. But his was always the best. The names of several were similar, I think there was a Chao Thai and a Thai Thai, etc, so I can’t remember the name of this place, but the corner of 19th and X for sure. Let me know if it’s still there; been many years now. My Thai wife liked it, too, when we stopped in Lubbock. The Thai restaurants in Honolulu were really not good, even the big famous one called Kaew’s or something like that, which has photos of the owner posing with different movie stars on the walls; we saw it had opened a branch in Waikiki the last time we were there; packed, doing very well. But it was expensive and bland. The other Thai restaurants were cheaper but still bland. My wife and all the other Thais studying at the university agreed that there were no good Thai restaurants in Hawaii. Elesewhere on the mainland, too, whatever I tried was just not up to this little place in Lubbock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thai-coconut-soup/397366.md?page=1)