Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Name: Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Yield: Makes About 1 Cup
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: ⅓ cup Asian fish sauce, or more to taste; ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar; 1 small hot red chile, thinly sliced, or ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste; 1 piece of carrot (2 inches), peeled; 2 cloves garlic, minced

Nuoc Cham

Preparation info

Makes About
1 Cup

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Barbecue Bible

By Steven Raichlen

Published 1998

About

Vietnam’s national table sauce, nuoc cham is a delicate, topaz-colored, slightly sweet, salty, and sour condiment that is obligatory for any Vietnamese grilled fare. Traditionally, finely slivered carrots are added for color and texture. And when I say finely slivered, I mean like dental floss!

Ingredients

1 piece of carrot (2 inches), peeled
2 tablespoons

Asia
Vietnam
Sauce
Gluten-free
Southeast Asia
Spicy

Method

Slice the carrot lengthwise with a vegetable peeler and pile the slices on top of one another, then, using a sharp slender knife, slice the carrot lengthwise into the thinnest imaginable strips.
Combine the sugar and ½ cup of warm water in a small bowl and wh