Super stinky, super umami, and super umami…. fish sauce!! Nuoc cham/nuoc mam is a classic dipping sauce – this is a staple in Vietnamese food! You can eat it with literally anything. The recipe is pretty simple with a lot of shelf stable ingredients. It’s easy to make a large quantity since it’s all in ratios and some items are just to taste!
If you’ve been to a Vietnamese restaurant, you’ve likely already had it. It is usually served with the egg roll appetizer, broken rice dishes, vermicelli noodle bowls, and more! I had some recently with vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, egg rolls, and some mint and basil.
Nuoc Cham
Ingredients
- 1 part sugar
- 1 part fish sauce
- 6 parts water warm
- lime
- sriracha
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, fish sauce and warm water. The warm water helps the sugar dissolve faster but really does not impact the flavor.
- Add a squeeze of lime and sriracha to taste and you're done!
- Serve with egg rolls, noodles, rice… whatever your heart desires!
After you’ve learned How to Roll an Egg Roll, have some with this sauce! You can even dip Spring Rolls + Peanut Dipping Sauce minus the peanut sauce!
I find fish sauce to be an essential component in my homemade marinades.
It not only tenderizes the meat but also imparts a delightful flavor.