Travellers returning home from trips to Thailand have raved about tom yam (pictured above) for years. Now it is found to varying degrees of authenticity on restaurant menus all over the world. It is the most widely known of all the Southeast Asian dishes in this selection. Tom yam is characterised by its distinct hot and sour flavours provided by a broth of stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chilli. Tom yam goong (with prawns) is the most iconic version of the soup, but prawns can be substituted with any seafood, chicken, or even tofu. Lao PDR can also lay claim to tom yam, but it is travellers to Thailand who popularised it.