EDITOR’S RAVE
1 MAK NYONYA PERENCAH TOM YAM SEGERA
$2.45, from Fairprice
The reddish soup looked the most fiery and tasted the spiciest. But it was also sour enough to balance out the heat, making each spoonful a mouthwatering burst of hot and sour fireworks. The flavour came closest to what we’d find in a Thai eatery, but as the soup has a slightly powdery texture, add half a cup of water to the amount stated on the packaging.
RATING: 9/10
GREAT FIND
2 ASIAN HOME GOURMET SPICE PASTE FOR THAI TOM YUM SOUP
$2.35, from major supermarkets
Some of us liked this clear tom yam soup for its lighter balance of spiciness and sourness, but others thought the flavour could be taken up a notch. What’s nice is that it doesn’t drown out the taste of the seafood with tongue-numbing spiciness.
RATING: 8.5/10
3 DANCING CHEF TOM YAM PASTE
$2.50, from major supermarkets
Laced with the distinct lemak taste of coconut milk, this red tom yam soup had a slightly richer texture than the rest. The smoothness made it pleasant to drink, but it wasn’t as sour as it was spicy, making it taste more like a curry than tom yam soup.
RATING: 7.5/10
4 IKAN BRAND PERENCAH TOM YAM SEGERA
$1.95, from Fairprice
The mildly spicy and sour notes fell flat on our taste buds, and there were little fibres in the soup that made it hard to drink. We recommend you use this as a tom yam base, and tweak the levels of spiciness and sourness with chilli padi and lime juice, according to your taste.
RATING: 6.5/10
This article was originally published in Simply Her March 2014.