Vietnamese dipping sauce, or nuoc cham, is a condiment used in Vietnamese cuisine that balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. It typically consists of hot peppers, fish sauce, citrus juice, and sugar, and can be customized to taste. It is commonly served with spring rolls, rice, noodles, and vegetables.
Vietnamese dipping sauce, also known as nuoc cham, is a sauce that is used as a condiment for a range of Vietnamese dishes. While the exact recipes often vary depending on the specific cook, Vietnamese cooking tends to call for the sauce to include a balance of four main flavor categories: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. The basic version of the sauce usually consists of hot peppers and fish sauce, a condiment that comes from fish that has been seasoned with salt and then fermented. The main ingredients can be combined with citrus for tartness and sugar for sweetness until the cook has achieved the right balance of flavours.
The hot chili flavor in Vietnamese dipping sauce can come from hot peppers, such as serrano or jalapeno. For more heat, it may be recommended to leave the seeds in the peppers. Chile paste, a product made by grinding hot peppers with water to form a thick mixture, can be used in place of fresh peppers when making dipping sauce.
While the chiles and fish sauce form the hot, salty flavors of Vietnamese dipping sauce, the tart flavor typically comes from the citrus juice. Lime juice tends to be most commonly used, but lemon juice can also be substituted. Acid and acid balance can also be achieved with the use of vinegar. Granulated white sugar is usually the ingredient of choice for adding sweetness to the sauce, but recipes may also call for brown sugar or honey.
Vietnamese dipping sauce is typically made by whisking together crushed chilies or chili paste, fish sauce, citrus juice or vinegar, and your preferred sweetener. It can be diluted to your preferred texture by adding in warm water. Some cooks prefer a sauce with a runny texture, while others may desire a heavier, more glaze-like texture. Minced garlic cloves or chopped carrots can be stirred into the finished sauce for added flavor. It is usually recommended to let the sauce sit for at least 15 minutes or up to a day ahead to give the ingredients time to mix and become more flavorful.
One of the most common uses for Vietnamese dipping sauce is as an accompaniment to spring rolls. Spring rolls are an Asian finger food that is prepared by rolling a vegetable or meat filling with a thin, almost transparent dough wrapper that is deep-fried or baked. The sauce is also commonly served with rice or noodles, as well as being added to vegetables for extra flavor.
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