Vietnam's Fish Sauce Tops World's Best Dipping Sauces

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Fish sauce is ranked 22nd with a score of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

It serves as both a dipping sauce for traditional dishes and a seasoning for modern cuisine, making it a staple in home-cooked meals and street food stalls across Vietnam.

Throughout the nation, fish sauce is served with dishes in two forms: pure fish sauce and sweet fish sauce.

Present at most family meals, celebrations, and street food stalls, sweet fish sauce is prepared with ingredients such as fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or vinegar, garlic, chili, and water, all mixed together.

Although the same ingredients are used, each household’s version has its own unique flavor, shaped by the mixing method and the maker’s taste.

Fish sauce is ranked 22nd with a score of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Photo: Monngonmoingay

Sweet fish sauce is commonly paired with dishes like Com Tam (broken rice topped with grilled pork), spring rolls, and Banh Xeo (Vietnamese sizzling cakes), while pure fish sauce complements hot pot, steamed dishes, and boiled foods.

When Vietnamese fish sauce is combined with other ingredients like sugar, lime juice, and chilies, the fishy smell fades away and its ability to add richness and flavor to food becomes apparent. An interesting fact is that not all fish sauce is created in the same way. Their preparation can vary from region to region throughout Vietnam.

Good “nuoc mam” is the juice in the flesh of fish that is extracted after a prolonged salting and fermentation process. It requires years to make top-quality Vietnamese dipping fish sauce. Regarding Vietnamese fish sauce ingredients, anchovies (Ca Com) are the typical one; however, some types of fish sauce can be made from other small fishes.

Depending on the type of food, you will need to put your own twists on the recipe or adjust the amount of sauce used. It is all about how to make it perfect according to your taste.

Fermented fish sauce ranks 96th with a score of 3.9 out of 5 stars.

Fermented fish sauce ranks 96th with a score of 3.9 out of 5 stars. Photo: songhuongfood

This traditional dipping sauce, although less widespread than fish sauce, is gaining popularity across Vietnam. Historically, fermented fish sauce was primarily enjoyed in the central provinces, but regional dishes are now becoming more accessible nationwide.

To create a jar of rustic fermented fish sauce, ingredients such as pineapple, ginger, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chili are used to soften the sauce’s strong aroma. The process involves combining pure fermented fish sauce with these ingredients in a pot and stirring well, as thorough mixing is key to achieving the desired flavor.

While fermented fish sauce is known for its strong salty taste, it can vary by region. In the south, for instance, it is often seasoned to be sweeter.

As a rustic dipping sauce, fermented fish sauce pairs well with dishes like vermicelli, rice paper rolls, and banh can (mini Vietnamese pancakes).

Toum, a traditional garlic sauce from Lebanon and Syria, ranks No. 1 on Taste Atlas’ list of the world’s 100 best sauces with a score of 4.7 stars.

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