Nuoc Cham

Nuoc Cham

Nuoc Cham is a common name for a variety of Vietnamese "dipping sauces" that are served quite frequently as condiments. It is commonly a sweet, sour, salty and spicy sauce.

Nuoc Cham

Nuoc cham (mixed fish sauce) is the most well known dipping sauce made from fish sauce. Its simplest recipe is some lime juice, or occasionally vinegar, one part fish sauce, one part sugar and two parts water.

To this, people will typically add minced garlic, chopped or minced Bird's Eye Chilis, and in some instances, shredded carrot and green papaya for bún. Otherwise, when having seafood, such as eels, people also serve some slices of lemongrass.

It is often prepared hot on a stove to dissolve the sugar more quickly, then cooled. The flavor can be varied depending on the individual's preference, but it is generally described as pungent and distinct, sweet yet sour, and sometimes spicy.

Uses of Nuoc Cham:

Nuoc Cham is typically served with:

1.Com tam, a rice dish with meat, poultry, eggs, seafood or veggies. The toppings are often fried, grilled, braised, steamed/boiled, or stir-fried.

2.Cha giò, spring rolls.

3.Goi cuon, which are sometimes called shrimp salad rolls or "rice paper" rolls, or erroneously as spring rolls.

4.Bánh cuon or "rice rolls", where wide sheets of rice noodles rolled up, and topped (or stuffed) with stir-fried or braised meat or seafood, with soy sauce or fish sauce.

5.Bánh xèo, a pan-fried crepe made from rice flour and coconut milk, and filled with pork, shrimp, onion and bean sprouts, and topped with herbs

6.Bánh hoi, very thin vermicelli layered into sheets, and separated by thin layers of mo hành (scallions in oil)

7.Bún, rice noodles with meat, poultry, eggs, seafood or veggies. The toppings are often fried, grilled, braised, steamed/boiled, or stir-fried.

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