Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

My personal take on a traditional dipping sauce. A little bit sweet, but mostly savory with a nice bit of heat. I make this a minimum of 24 hours before I use it to let the flavors mingle. Leftover sauce can be kept for three to four weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator. If this isn't to your taste as written, experiment! Everyone's tastes are different! Some like their nuoc cham really sweet and mild, some like it tangy with heat. Mine tends to be more towards the tangy heat side. So, before you add the garlic, onion, and vinegar, sample it and adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your liking. Keep in mind that this recipe is LOUD when you first make it. The flavors mingle and mature a bit after the first 24 hours. I hope you enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Calories: 15 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup white sugar
• ½ cup warm water
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Thai chile peppers, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Stir the sugar and warm water together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves completely; add the fish sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Thai chile peppers, and green onion to the mixture.