A traditional Vietnamese nuoc cham – a sweet, sour and salty dipping sauce or noodle salad dressing that is surprisingly refreshing and addictive.
When I think back to my time in Vietnam, I remember Vietnamese iced coffee, motor bikes, heat, bumpy bus rides, limestone islands, brightly coloured lanterns and food. Let’s not talk about the one very large cockroach that had it out for me…
There was street food and café dining; think crispy rice paper pizza, white rose dumplings and cao lau. Road-side banh mi eaten on park benches overlooking time-worn bridges and modern sculptures.
Colourful markets filled with tropical fruits and unidentifiable ingredients. Outdoor cooking classes surrounded by rivers and herbs, filled with bad puns and shared meals.
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And of course, nuoc cham.
There is nothing quite as satisfying on a stinking hot day in Vietnam as wrapping your spring roll or crispy crepe in mint and lettuce leaves, and then dunking it straight into your own little bowl of nuoc cham before taking a big bite.
What is Nuco Cham?
Nuoc cham is Vietnam’s all-purpose dipping sauce and/or dressing that can, and is, served with many different snacks and meals. The base is made from water, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and vinegar.
It’s sweet, sour and salty, and people pride themselves in being able to balance the competing flavours, which when made right, gives you a funky, briny, tangy condiment that is surprisingly refreshing and addictive.
But what is right?
This is a sauce all about balance, and balance is subjective to each person’s taste buds. The flavours will vary depending on the brand of fish sauce that you use, the type of sugar, how pulpy or juicy your limes are, etc.
So follow the base recipe below, but then taste and consider. Add extra lime juice, sugar and water – a little at a time – until you get your own perfectly balanced nuoc cham.
Once you have the base tasting great, it’s time for the accompaniments. Finely diced garlic and chilli are standard, and in my opinion, a must. Others add thinly cut carrots, lemongrass, scallions, even pineapple. You can even customise your nuoc cham to better compliment the dish you’re serving it with (see recipe notes below for some ideas).
What to Serve Nuoc Cham with?
As a dipping sauce:
- fresh rice paper rolls
- fried spring rolls
- banh xeo (crispy savoury crepes)
- grilled or fried fish
- grilled pork.
As a dressing:
- bun cha (vermicelli salad bowls)
- lettuce and other greens
- banh hoi (rice vermicelli bundles)
- green mango salad
- goi salads (Vietnamese cabbage salads).
Love Tropical-Inspired Recipes? Try These:
- Coconut Rice Salad with Green Mango
- Prawn-Stuffed Avocados with Finger Limes
- Plum and Salmon Salad
- Blackened Salmon Tacos w Minted Pineapple Salsa
Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)
Ingredients
- 125 ml hot water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 60 ml fish sauce, see recipe notes
- 60 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 60 ml rice wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 long red chilli, finely diced
Instructions
- Pour the hot water into a bowl and immediately add the sugar and whisk to dissolve. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the fish sauce, lime juice and rice wine vinegar. Stir and taste. If it’s too funky from the fish sauce, you may want to balance it out with a little extra lime juice. If it’s too tangy, you may want to add more sugar and water. Add small amounts at a time, mix and taste until you find the right balance for your tastebuds or the meal you’re serving the nuoc cham with.
- When the base is ready, add in the finely diced garlic and chilli, stir, and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
