What Are the Health Benefits of Tom Yum Soup?

For food lovers, the desire to taste various delicious foods is natural. Tom Yum Gong, with its odd name, is an exotic dish originating from Thailand. Its main ingredients include fresh prawns, straw mushrooms, galangal, lemongrass, and lime. While we are accustomed to domestic delicacies, trying Tom Yum Gong offers a unique flavor experience. Moreover, Tom Yum Gong has various health benefits such as invigorating qi and nourishing yang, harmonizing qi and soothing the stomach, making it beneficial for the human body. Let's explore the health benefits and a simple recipe for Tom Yum Gong.

a. Invigorating Qi and Nourishing Yang: Prawns, with their warm nature and sweet taste, are beneficial for the liver and kidneys. They have the effects of invigorating qi, nourishing yang, nourishing blood, strengthening sperm, stimulating appetite, and resolving phlegm. Prawns are suitable for people with kidney deficiency, impotence, physical weakness, and neuralgia. Common foods that invigorate qi and nourish yang include red dates, grapes, black beans, black sesame seeds, and black-boned chickens.

b. Harmonizing Qi and Soothing the Stomach: Lemon leaves have a warm nature, a pungent and slightly bitter taste, and belong to the lungs, stomach, and large intestine meridians. They have the effects of harmonizing qi, soothing the stomach, and arresting diarrhea. They are suitable for symptoms such as cough with excessive phlegm, diarrhea, and abdominal bloating. Common foods that harmonize qi and soothe the stomach include lotus root, radishes, hawthorn, oranges, soft-shelled turtles, and Chinese yams.

c. Promoting Bone Growth: Prawns are rich in magnesium, a trace element that is second only to calcium and phosphorus in human bones. Therefore, Tom Yum Gong soup can promote bone growth and is an excellent tonic for children and young adults who are in their growth stages. Common foods that promote bone growth include beef, dairy products, beans, and spinach.

Ingredients: 8g Thai fish sauce, 15g Thai lime juice, 20g Thai chili paste, 8g sugar, 6g chicken powder, aroma ingredients (30g straw mushrooms, 10g cherry tomatoes, 5g sliced galangal, 2g lemon leaves, 40g evaporated milk, 10g lemongrass stalks, 10g lemongrass leaves, 10g small chili peppers, 500g stock), 2g coriander.

Directions: 1. Clean the heads and veins of the fresh prawns and set aside. Clean the clams and set aside. Slice the galangal into small pieces. 2. Boil the stock in a pot, add all the seasonings and cook until fragrant. Then add the prawns and clams, cook over high heat for 2 minutes until the prawns and clams are cooked, and serve.