Mon Dec 09 12:33:54 UTC 2024: ## Thai Tom Yum Soup Earns UNESCO Cultural Heritage Status
**Bangkok, Thailand** – Thailand’s iconic Tom Yum Kung soup has been added to UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, joining a prestigious list of culinary traditions from around the world. UNESCO lauded the soup’s unique blend of sweet, sour, spicy, savory, creamy, and slightly bitter flavors, highlighting its embodiment of the culinary wisdom of Buddhist riverside communities in Thailand’s central plains. The dish’s use of traditional knowledge of local ingredients and medicinal herbs further contributed to its selection.
The recognition underscores the cultural significance of Tom Yum Kung, which is prepared by boiling prawns with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chilies, and other herbs to create a flavorful broth. Fish sauce and a balance of lime juice and sugar contribute to its distinctive sweet and sour taste.
Tom Yum Kung joins other newly inscribed elements on the UNESCO list, including sake-making from Japan, Asturian cider culture from Spain, Malaysian breakfast culture, Mulgi Puder from Estonia, Attieke production skills from Cote d’Ivoire, traditional Artisan Minas Cheese making from Brazil, and Arabic coffee from a joint nomination by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The list aims to showcase the diversity of intangible cultural heritage and raise awareness of its importance.
First Piper 