ICH Courier

omyum Kung is more than a soup; it is a way of life and a culinary wisdom of the riverside communities in the central plains of Thailand. Famous for their plentiful rice production, these communities, with their rivers and networked canals serving for irrigation, agriculture, transportation and international trade, have also been provided with water supplies and abundant food resources.

Tomyum Kung consists of three Central Thai words: ‘Tom’ means boiling a soup, ‘Yum’ indicates mixing herbs and spicy sauce, and ‘Kung’ means prawn or shrimp. It has a rich aroma, vibrant colors, and a delicate taste of contrasting but complementary flavors: sour, salty, chili-hot, sweet, lightcreamy, and faintly bitter. Its local recipes, passed down orally within the families through generations, have not appeared in written or prescriptive forms until recently.

Yuwadee, a retired Education Ministry official, whose family has lived in the Talingchan canal community in Bangkok for centuries, is a devout Buddhist. She cherishes Tomyum Kung as a food that reflects the simplicity of the culture of her river communities. She recalls her parents’ attitude of mercy to animals, their knowledge about river prawns’ life-cycle and the use of plant resources for food and medicine, enabling them to be self-supporting and sustainable in their lifestyles. “When I was a kid, there were plenty of prawns and fish. When the tide came low, mature prawns would float to the surface and we could just scoop them up. Tomyum Kung only needs prawns, water, and herbs, nothing more. The

ingredients were naturally abundant, and so easy to find”, said Yuwadee. Rice symbolizing ‘self-sufficiency’ in the communities, was consumed generously with different dishes. A family meal is almost a ritual where members gather in a circle, ‘eating rice from the same pot and soup from the same bowl.’ Dr. Taweep, MD, believes that Tomyum Kung represents local abundance, good health and happiness. Having worked in New York for decades, he now lives happily on his parents’ land in Chak Pra Canal Community, Bangkok. He praises the value of Tomyum Kung, with herbs, like lemongrass and kaffir lime, grown in his garden: ‘Lemongrass, especially its lower stem, is full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

It is nourishing and promotes good health.’ Today, urbanization has changed social and family structures, lifestyles, natural resources and the waterway system in
Thailand. Natural river prawns have become scarce, so people have turned to sea shrimps or other protein ingredients.
Because Tomyum Kung remains an all-time favourite dish, the riverside communities have cooperated with Government agencies and concerned Non-Governmental organizations to protect and revitalize rivers and canals. “We cannot separate food from nature conservation, since both are connected through the food chain. If we have clean rivers and canals, we will have plentiful prawns and fish to feed people” said Mr. Chaiyan Yusiri, President of Samutsongkhram  armers Council who joined ‘Love Meklong River Group’. In the 1980’s, the Fisheries Department of Thailand

Dr. Taweep, MD, demonstrating the preparation of Tomyum Kung using a variety of healthy herbs. © Department of Cultural Promotion, Thailand

undertook a project on prawn hatching in laboratories, which successfully contributed to the development and expansion of freshwater prawn farming in Thailand. Its report was subsequently published as international guidelines by FAO. Since 1984, the project has been further developed at the royal initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, to increase giant freshwater prawn productivity in the Chao Phraya River, enabling people to generate more income from catching river prawns.
Today, education about Tomyum Kung has been added to the school and non-formal curricula at many levels, which has often integrated education about the natural food chain, food safety and food security, enabling students to understand the connection between environmental protection and the viability of natural freshwater prawns.
Tomyum Kung was included in the National Inventory in 2011. Since then, it has been widely popularized, nationally and globally. Over the years, many new and creative versions have been developed in response to diverse resources in different localities, different lifestyles and changing taste buds of the consumers. These developments have been much discussed among local chefs and Thai culinary experts during the nomination of Tomyum Kung for UNESCO inscription

which involved several groups of bearers and practitioners, such as agricultural and waterfront families; chefs and restaurant owners; teachers, community leaders and the media. It was confirmed that all genders and all generations can practice and safeguard the element, and that the main safeguarding measures should include dialogue and respect for diversity, as well as the promotion of Tomyum Kung’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goals.
On December 4, 2025, at the Meeting of ICH Committee in Paraguay, Tomyum Kung was registered on the UNESCO’ s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Thai delegation attending the Meeting then organized a demonstration and tasting of Tomyum Kung for all delegates, to promote the spirit of happiness and social cohesion. It was graciously attended by the Minister of Culture of Paraguay who showed great enthusiasm and appreciation of Tomyum Kung. At the same time, Thai people, in Thailand and abroad, also celebrated the good news and welcomed and this UNESCO’s decision on Tomyum Kung being inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List. We look forward to sharing knowledge and experiences with other countries concerning food and the environment, food safety and security, and sustainable development. ICH