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Gaeng Som (Sour Orange Curry)

Name: Gaeng Som (Sour Orange Curry)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs fish; 3 tbsp tamarind paste; 6 dried chilies, soaked; 4 shallots; 1 tsp shrimp paste; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 4 cups vegetables (cabbage; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 4 cups water

Gaeng Som (Sour Orange Curry) reads umami 7.6, funk & ferment 6.6 and salinity 6.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 5.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 3.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Funk & Ferment 6.6 · Salinity 6.1 · Marine & Briny 6.0 · Sweetness 4.8 · Sourness 4.2 · Richness 3.9 · Allium 3.1 · Heat 2.9 · Citrus 2.6 · Fruity 2.1 · Earthy 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (10)

1.5 lbs fish
3 tbsp tamarind paste
6 dried chilies, soaked
4 shallots
1 tsp shrimp paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 cups vegetables (cabbage
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
4 cups water

Time & effort: about 30 min (15 min active) · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 62.7 kcal, 6.5 g protein, 2.6 g fat, 4.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Blend dried chilies, shallots, turmeric, and shrimp paste into a paste.
Dissolve paste into simmering water, add tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar for a sour-spicy broth.
Add vegetables and fish and simmer briefly until just cooked.
The curry should be thin, vibrantly orange, and sharply sour.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sinigang (Tamarind Sour Soup) — Filipino
Spicy Beef Salad — Thai
Thai Shrimp Fried Rice — Thai
Jeow Bong (Luang Prabang Chilli Relish with Buffalo Skin) — Lao
Vietnamese Style Shu Mai — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.