Thai soup can taste almost electric when it is right. One spoonful is bright with lime, warm with chiles, savory with fish sauce, fragrant with lemongrass, and still somehow clean enough to make room for the next bite.

A good Chinese soup tastes full before it tastes salty. The broth has depth, the aroma hits first, and every spoonful has a clean balance of savory, sweet, sour, spicy, and fresh.