PROSE POETRY
Tom Yum Kung
Thailand’s no.1 spicy soup
Tom Yum Kung, Tom Yum Goong Tom Yam Kung,
it depends where you are.
Tom — boiling. Yum — mixed. Kung — prawn.
Tom Yum Kung a spicy clear soup originally from Thailand,
popular with Thai’s and tourists alike.
Generous helpings of lemongrass,
(mosquitoes hate this, by the way)
Kaffir lime leaves, galangal, (looks like an alien bug, see below)
lime juice, fish sauce, (not my flavour)
fresh chilies and crushed dry chilies. (canceling out the fish sauce taste).
Served up with a plate of Thai jasmine rice, what more could you ask for?
“Can I have mine with chicken please,”? WHAT!?
Those with a sense of bravado ask for their soup “Thai Style”,
receiving a puzzled look and a nod of the head, yes.
It rarely ever does come out “Thai style”,
real “Thai style” is far sourer as ingredients are; let’s say not so fresh to suit the pockets of many as money is not abundant for most of the population.
The lucky tourist gets their soup (served with a smile) so spicy
not even sweat from their brow pouring into the bowl
along with tears and snot can take out the spicy sting of
“Thai style” Tom Yum Kgung.
“I’m sure that prawn is alive; it just moved”
as the spicy hallucinations kick in giving the rest of the table
a good old chuckle. Another plate of rice and copious amounts of beer will not calm down this spicy sting. “Another one bites the dust”!
Well, you did ask for “Thai style”.
James G Brennan 2021
Again this is dedicated to my foodie partners in crime, in alphabetical order. Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) Paroma Sen Suzanne V. Tanner.
Thank you as always, GB Rogut for giving my words a platform. 🙏
Thank you all for reading and your precious time. Always. J. 🙏✨
