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Invermere · the Kootenays

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Thai · Isaan

Tom Saap — Isaan Spicy Pork Bone Soup / ต้มแซ่บ

Tom saap is Isaan's spicy, sour pork rib soup — related to Central Thai tom yum in its hot-sour profile but heavier, more rustic, and with pla raa as a seasoning element rather than standard fish sauce. Pork ribs (or a mix of ribs, knuckle, and offal) are simmered in water with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bird's eye chillies, then seasoned with pla raa (fermented freshwater fish), lime juice, and dried chilli powder. The 'saap' (delicious) in the name reflects its place in Isaan cuisine — it is considered the Isaan comfort soup, eaten at communal meals, with sticky rice. The pork should be tender off the bone; the broth should be sour-hot-savoury.

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ServesFour portions

Within reach2of 11 in Invermere

One in town · one shipped · two elsewhere in British Columbia · seven not yet within reach.

How the 11 are reached

In town: 1 · lime juice
Shipped to you: 1 · lemongrass
Elsewhere in British Columbia: 2 · tripe, galangal
Not yet within reach: 7 · pork spare ribs, pork knuckle, kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chillies, pla raa (fermented freshwater fish), dried chilli powder, toasted rice powder (khao khua)

Cook

‹ Previous · Tom Kha Gai — Coconut Galangal Chicken Soup / ต้มข่าไก่|Next · Tom Som — Sour Tamarind Fish Soup / ต้มส้ม ›

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

800 g

Pork spare ribs

cut into 4–5 cm sections

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

200 g

Pork knuckle

bone-in, cut into chunks

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

100 g

Tripe

cleaned, blanched separately before use

Elsewhere in British Columbia · SuperValu Gibsons →

2 litres

Water

Your own market

3 stalks

Lemongrass

bruised, cut into 5 cm lengths

Origin · ThailandShipped to you · Wismettac →

30 g

Galangal

sliced into coins

Elsewhere in British Columbia · SuperValu Gibsons →

6 leaves

Kaffir lime leaves

torn

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

Bird's eye chillies

bruised

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

3 tbsp

Pla raa (fermented freshwater fish)

strained of solids if preferred

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

3 tbsp

Lime juice

freshly squeezed, added off heat

In town · Kootenay Farm to Folks · Cranbrook →

1 tsp

Dried chilli powder

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

2 tbsp

Toasted rice powder (khao khua)

traditional finishing element

Not yet within reach of Invermere · each reach is counted

Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.

The larder of Invermere →

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

The Method

Clean the tripe thoroughly and blanch in a separate pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. The blanching water is discarded. The tripe is ready when it no longer carries a raw, sharp smell.

Place the pork ribs and pork knuckle in a large pot with the 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, skim the grey foam from the surface, then reduce to a steady simmer. Add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chillies, and the blanched tripe. Simmer, partially covered, until the pork is completely tender — the meat should yield without resistance and begin to pull from the bone; the broth will have taken on visible body from the collagen.

This is where the dish lives or dies. Remove the pot from direct heat or reduce to the lowest possible flame. Stir in the pla raa and the dried chilli powder. Then add the lime juice. Taste immediately: the broth must be aggressively sour, distinctly savoury from the fermented fish, and fiercely hot. Adjust pla raa for depth and lime for sharpness — the acid must be bright and immediate, not flat. If either note is muted, the soup has not reached its character.

From the canon — Pla raa is the defining fermented ingredient of Isaan cuisine — made from freshwater fish (typically small snakehead, catfish, or gourami) packed in salt and… Pla Raa — Fermented Freshwater Fish / ปลาร้า →

Finish by stirring in the toasted rice powder (khao khua). The powder disperses through the broth, adding a faint nuttiness and a very slight body. Ladle into deep bowls and serve immediately alongside sticky rice. The broth surface should carry a faint sheen of pork collagen.

From the canon — Khao khua (toasted rice powder) is made by dry-toasting uncooked raw glutinous rice in a dry wok over medium heat until golden-tan and nutty, then grinding t… Khao Khua — Toasted Rice Powder / ข้าวคั่ว →

III

Quality Hierarchy

Reserve — Pork ribs, knuckle, and cleaned tripe from a heritage or free-range animal; pla raa sourced from a named producer in the northeast Thai tradition; lime juice pressed to order.

Estate — Good-quality butcher pork ribs and knuckle used together; reputable bottled or market pla raa; fresh kaffir lime leaves and galangal rather than dried.

Market — Pork spare ribs alone (no knuckle or tripe); widely available pla raa; dried galangal acceptable if fresh is unavailable; freshly squeezed lime essential at any rung.

House — Pork spare ribs only; fish sauce may be substituted if pla raa is entirely unavailable — the result is tom yum in character rather than tom saap, and the Isaan distinction is lost.

Sensory Tests

◇Smell. Blanched tripe no longer carries a sharp, raw odour — ready to join the main pot.

◇Touch. Pork yields without resistance when pressed with a spoon or chopstick and pulls cleanly from the bone.

◇Sight. Broth carries visible body and a light collagen sheen on the surface before final seasoning.

◇Smell. After pla raa is added off heat, the broth releases a deep, fermented, savoury aroma distinct from the clean herb notes of the simmer.

◇Where it lives or dies. The seasoning off heat is the decisive moment: pla raa and lime juice must be added after simmering ends so the fermented savoury note stays alive and the acid remains bright — cook them in, and the soup becomes flat and dull rather than the aggressively sour-hot broth that defines tom saap.

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What to Pour

Pouring for British Columbia · change · near Invermere

The pairing

Aramasa No. 6 X-type Junmai Ginjo

Aramasa Shuzo · Yamagata

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Sake

From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

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The whole pairing

VII · Origin & Lineage

Tom saap originates in Isaan, the northeastern region of Thailand, where it is considered the defining regional soup — present at every Isaan restaurant and every communal meal. Its relationship to Central Thai tom yum is one of shared hot-sour architecture, but pla raa (fermented freshwater fish) in place of standard fish sauce marks it as unambiguously Isaan. The name itself — 'saap' meaning delicious in the Isaan dialect — encodes its cultural position: this is not a refined restaurant preparation but the Isaan comfort soup, eaten with sticky rice at shared tables.

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The working kitchen

Cost this recipe

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Sourced through Provenance