Ngọc Trần’s Nước Chắm
Image description: Jar of fish sauce with an abstract shadow.
Illustration by Mi Nguyen (taken from Colournary Issue Two: Water).
Nước chắm is a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce that’s equal parts sweet, tangy and umami.
A popular way to eat nước mắm (fish sauce) is to mix it together with water, sugar and something acidic. This sweetened iteration called nước chấm (dipping sauce) is served with anything from grilled meat vermicelli to bánh xèo (crispy pancake). Every family has a unique recipe, each grounded in different stories and knowledge passed down through generations. My family prefers nước chấm sweeter, while others prefer it saltier or more sour. Some families use fresh limes, while others use distilled vinegar – depending on what they have access to. The composition of nước chấm ebbs and flows, depending on your mood and intentions. Most days, I don’t even measure. I just keep adding ingredients until my ancestors tell me: “That’s enough”. Like most Vietnamese dishes, there is no ‘perfect’ recipe. There is no right or wrong way to make nước chấm. All are valid and worthy of sharing.
Nước chắm offers both comfort when I am missing quê hương (homeland), and space when I am dreaming of what our cuisine in the Vietnamese diaspora can look like. What seems like a simple condiment to some, allows me to heal and connect with my lineage and to those who came before me.
The recipe below is inspired by the accumulated knowledge of my kin, uplifted by the skills I have gathered, and held in hope of being passed down to the future.
Time: 5 minutes
Method –
Stir together hot water and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.
Add in fish sauce and lemon juice. Keep tasting and adjust in increments to your taste.*
Mince garlic and add to mixture.
De-seed and dice chilli. Add to mixture.
Add a pinch of MSG and stir well.
Tips –
*For saltiness, add in fish sauce. For acidity, add lemon juice. For sweetness, add sugar.
Ingredients –
8 tbsp boiling hot water
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 ½ tbsp sugar
2 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 small garlic clove
1 birdseye chilli
Pinch of MSG
About Ngọc Trần
Ngọc Trần is an activist and co-owner of Vietnamese eatery Shop Bao Ngoc in Naarm. You can read their story via Colournary here and follow and support them at @baongocbrunswick on Instagram.