Tom kha gai
Encyclopedia
Tom kha gai or Tom kha kai (Lao
: ຕົ້ມຂ່າໄກ່; , , tôm kʰàː kàj), literally "chicken galangal
soup") is a spicy hot soup in Lao cuisine and Thai cuisine. This soup is made with coconut milk
, galangal
, lemon grass and chicken
. The fried chillies add a smoky flavor as well as texture, color and heat, but not so much that it overwhelms the soup. The key is to get a taste balance between the spices. Thai-style tom kha gai does not use dill weed, whereas Lao-style tom kha gai usually contains "phak si" (dill weed), which is a common herb used in Lao cuisine. The Thais' answer to dill weed (known in Thailand as "phak chi Lao", since it's known locally as a Lao herb) in Tom kha is coriander or cilantro ("phak chi" in Thai).
There are other versions of this soup made with seafood (tom kha thale), mushrooms (tom kha het), pork (tom kha mu) and tofu (tom kha taohu).
Lao language
Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...
: ຕົ້ມຂ່າໄກ່; , , tôm kʰàː kàj), literally "chicken galangal
Galangal
Galangal is a rhizome of plants of the genus Alpinia or Kaempferia in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originated from Indonesia...
soup") is a spicy hot soup in Lao cuisine and Thai cuisine. This soup is made with coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
, galangal
Galangal
Galangal is a rhizome of plants of the genus Alpinia or Kaempferia in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originated from Indonesia...
, lemon grass and chicken
Chicken (food)
Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :...
. The fried chillies add a smoky flavor as well as texture, color and heat, but not so much that it overwhelms the soup. The key is to get a taste balance between the spices. Thai-style tom kha gai does not use dill weed, whereas Lao-style tom kha gai usually contains "phak si" (dill weed), which is a common herb used in Lao cuisine. The Thais' answer to dill weed (known in Thailand as "phak chi Lao", since it's known locally as a Lao herb) in Tom kha is coriander or cilantro ("phak chi" in Thai).
There are other versions of this soup made with seafood (tom kha thale), mushrooms (tom kha het), pork (tom kha mu) and tofu (tom kha taohu).