Vietnam's unique sauciness

Vietnamese food is renowned for its savory dishes and delicious ingredient combinations, as well as for the wide variety of distinctive dipping sauces that can be used with practically any meal.
Let's examine a few of the most well-liked Vietnamese dipping sauces, from traditional fish sauce to unique shrimp paste. 

Nuoc mam - Fish sauce

Fish sauce is one of the most well-known and fundamental ingredients in Vietnamese cooking. Almost all Vietnamese meals served across the nation require this sauce. It is produced from fermented, salted seafood that has been left out for months or perhaps a year, primarily anchovies. The sauce is then made by extracting the liquid that was created during the fermenting phase. The dark crimson liquid has an unparalleled flavor that is somewhat sweet and salty.

Fish sauce is a favorite among Vietnamese people because it gives each food a unique flavor and scent. It functions well as a marinade before cooking, a flavoring during consumption, or a simple dipping sauce. Even non-Asian cuisine may use it well.

Fish sauce may be combined with other ingredients to create other flavors, such as sweet-and-sour fish sauce, which comprises fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chopped garlic, and chilies.

Mam tom - Fermented shrimp paste

Despite its overpowering odor, fermented shrimp paste is a standard ingredient in Vietnamese cooking, particularly in the north of the country. This sauce is created by salt-fermenting shrimp, which yields a thick paste that resembles purple. Shrimp paste smells strongly like seafood and tastes salty and tasty. This unique sauce may be used both as a dipping sauce and a seasoning in a variety of Vietnamese cuisine.

Famous favorites such as bun dau (vermicelli with fried tofu), and cha ca La Vong (turmeric fish with dill) are well-known for how well they go with a shrimp paste dipping sauce. The shrimp paste is also an indispensable seasoning in many local dishes, especially noodles. Bun rieu (crab noodle soup), bun oc (snail noodle soup), and bun thang (noodle soup with chicken, pork, and egg) are all popular with this sauce.

The extreme astringency of mam tom, which is often an acquired taste, might not be to everyone's taste. However, you'll quickly get addicted after you've grown acclimated to the strong flavor.

Muoi ot - Chili salt

Most of Vietnam's favorite tropical fruits go nicely with muoi ot, a colorful and fiery chili salt. Birdseye chili and salt are the key components of the spice, as the name says. You may also use other ingredients like sugar and garlic. Many people adore this spice for its fiery and salty characteristics.

You'll want more since it makes your mouth swim when combined with the sweet or sour fruits. Most frequently, chile salt is used to season fruits including green mango, pineapple, ambarella, guava, and java apples. Additionally, you may use chile salt to marinade the meat or seafood of your choosing before grilling or baking.

In the Tay Ninh Province, which borders HCMC and Cambodia, making chili salt is a long-standing occupation. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has designated the Tay Ninh chili salt production technique as a national intangible cultural property. This process is made even more unique by the inclusion of shrimp powder.

Mam nem - Fermented anchovy sauce

Mam nem, another anchovy sauce created by fermenting the fish, is another example. Mam nem, which is created from the same fish as its relative fish sauce, has a more pungent flavor. But in contrast to mam tom, it is less potent. The condiment is well-liked by the regional populace and has its origins in central Vietnam. It is commonly mixed with spices, honey, and pineapples to make it taste sweeter and smell less fishy.

The fermented anchovies dipping sauce is delicious with boiled pork, vermicelli, banh uot (wet rice cake), or banh trang cuon thit heo (rice paper rolls with pork). 

Mam ruoc - Fermented tiny shrimp sauce

Mam ruoc is a sauce created from acetes, a small shrimp, fermented for six to nine months. Mam ruoc, in contrast to mam tom, is aromatic and does not smell fishy. Additionally, it has a considerably darker hue than shrimp paste. The sauce tastes salty and flavorful. This fermented shrimp paste can be combined with other ingredients to make a dipping sauce or used as a garnish for soup.

Fermented shrimp sauce is very common in the Central and Southern parts of the country. Mam ruoc dipping sauce is delicious with green mango, boiling pig, or just a bowl of hot rice. It may also be a crucial component of recipes like the popular street snack banh trang mam ruoc or the classic home-cooked dish thit kho mam ruoc (braised pork with shrimp paste). (grilled rice paper with shrimp paste). 

Muoi chanh ot - Chili lime salt 

The dipping sauce known as muoi chanh ot, sometimes known as chili lime salt, was invented in the seaside city of Nha Trang. Green or red chilies, lime juice, white sugar, salt, lime leaves, and condensed milk are the main ingredients. The sweetness of condensed milk balances the flavor of the sauce and diminishes the heat of the chilies. The combination of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors in this sauce, together with the perfume of lime leaves, will make you eagerly anticipate each bite.

A variety of seafood meals and grilled meats are served with the sauce as a dipping sauce. However, fish is probably the greatest choice. Muoi chanh ot improves the flavor of seafood while also helping to get rid of the fishy stench.

Chao - Fermented tofu sauce

Despite not being as well-known as other sauces in Vietnamese cuisine, chao, or fermented tofu, is a favorite sauce of Vietnamese people, especially vegetarians. It is created from tofu that has been fermented for at least a month in a salty, salty, rice wine brine. It is highly fatty, salty, and occasionally peppery, and has a very soft texture. Chao takes on a pungent, cheese-like flavor when it is fermented for a long time.

In addition to being a fantastic dipping sauce, chao may be used to make soup and to marinade the meat of your choosing.

The fermented tofu is provided as a little cube for dipping sauce, which you then mash into a thick sauce. To make it more drinkable, some people mix it with lime juice, sugar, chili powder, and/or a little bit of water. The mixture may then be served as a side dish for hot pots as well as a dipping sauce for vegetables and grilled meat.

Sot dau phong - Peanut dipping sauce

Sot dau phong is undoubtedly your favorite dish if you enjoy fresh spring rolls. (peanut dipping sauce). Simple ingredients like peanut butter, hoisin, vinegar, and water are used to make this sauce. It has a thick and creamy texture and is renowned for its delicious, tangy, and nutty characteristics. The simplest way to flavor your favorite Vietnamese foods is with this straightforward sauce.

Vietnam has incredible food that you need to have time to discover when you are here. Threeland Travel can help you discover this. Contact us now!