"Fish sauce is definitely the soul of Vietnamese cuisine." Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng said.
A native of Vietnam, Hùng, a former chef at the five-star JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi in Hanoi, is passionate about Vietnamese food not only in his work, but also in his cookbook books. Speaking of fish sauce (nước mắm), he believes that it is a must-have for every household in the area, "We use it to season, marinate ingredients and make nước chấm." He continued: "At each meal, the whole family shares a bowl of nước chấm, which is a symbol of family unity."
What is Nước chấm? Before getting down to business, let's briefly introduce fish sauce.
Although commonly found in Southeast Asian cuisine, fish sauce actually originated along the southeast coast of China. Fresh anchovy or other fish and salt are layered in buckets, pressed with bamboo frames or stones, and after exposure, microorganisms begin to act, causing the fish to break down into liquid, which is fermented for months or more than a year.
In Vietnam, fish sauce extracted in the first round is the most valuable and can be used as a sauce or special seasoning. Inferior fish sauce after a second short fermentation is suitable for daily use. Its flavor is salty and fresh, and it can be used as a dish with a little bit to add a deep flavor, and it is suitable for stir-frying directly in dishes or as a sauce.
Nước chấm (Vietnamese fish sauce sauce)
Nước chấm is a sauce made with fish sauce, garlic, chili, lime juice, sugar and water or coconut water. If you've ever eaten Vietnamese spring rolls, remember that there is always a small plate of orange brown sauce in different shades of color with crushed chili peppers: nước chấm.
With different taste preferences, from south to north, each family in Vietnam has its own recipe. "I learned it with my mother, and she said that nước chấm has four tastes and textures: sweet, sour, salty and spicy." Hùng said. First, mix fresh lime juice and sugar with water, then add fish sauce to bring out the salty taste, and finally add spices such as garlic and chili pepper. In addition, in coconut-rich and sweet-tasting South Vietnam, coconut water is used instead of water to mix the sauce, and in some of the more elegant areas of North Vietnam, it is also made with broth. Prepared nước chấm can be served with rice noodles, pancakes (bánh xèo), salads and spring rolls.
However, in Vietnam, fish sauce-based sauces are not the only ones, and many of them are developed by nước chấm, so here are the four most common dipping sauces.
Nước mắm gừng (ginger fish sauce)
Derived from nước chấm. There is not much difference in terms of ingredients, except that the amount of garlic and chili pepper is reduced and minced ginger is added instead. In principle, the ratio is adjusted by emphasizing the ginger flavor. The prepared sauce goes well with steamed or grilled meat, seafood and snail dishes, which are common in North Vietnam.
Nước mắm me (tamarind fish sauce)
The materials are basically the same as those used by Nước Chấm, but tamarind with a sour plum flavor is also added. Commercially available tamarind seeds are mostly in the form of chunks, so you can soak a small piece in hot boiled water, rub out the puree pulp, then strain the seeds and add sauce to taste. The sauce can be served with seafood such as fish or shrimp and crab, mixed with lettuce salad, or used as a dipping sauce for Vietnamese vegetable salad rolls.
Nươc mắm trứng (egg fish sauce)
Based on nước chấm, add a boiled egg and mash it with a spoon to blend it with the sauce. It's very special! In Vietnam, this sauce is used to accompany boiled greens or porridge. As for the doneness of the eggs, it depends on personal preference, if you try it for the first time, you may wish to try boiling the yolk until it is half cooked.
Nước chấm ốc (fish sauce sauce for snails and shellfish)
In addition to nước chấm, minced lemongrass, shredded lemon leaves, ginger and kumquat are added. Generally, there is a slight emphasis on sweetness and the smell of lemongrass. North Vietnam used this unique dipping sauce more. Like the Chinese translation of this sauce, in Hanoi, nước chấm ốc can be said to be the sauce of exclusive snail dishes.
Since nước chấm is the source of so much sauce, it's time to learn how to make it. Hùng shares his adjusted recipes:
Material:
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chili pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp shallot oil
1 pinch of salt
Method:
1: Pour sugar into a bowl and stir with lime juice until the sugar is dissolved.
2: Add fish sauce, shallot oil and salt and blend for about 10 seconds.
3. When it's time to enjoy, add chopped garlic and chili
Of course, as mentioned earlier, everyone's taste is different, and in fact, the saltiness of fish sauce varies from brand to brand, so you can adjust the taste that you are most satisfied with.
Fish sauce is a must-have condiment for the Vietnamese, and in addition to being directly added to the dish, it has also developed a variety of variations in the dipping sauce, showing a variety of appearances according to different dishes. As the weather gets hot, isn't it particularly desirable to be so refreshing?