Vietnamese Nuoc Cham

Name: Vietnamese Nuoc Cham
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fish sauce; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/2 cup warm water; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 red chile, thinly sliced

8 servings5 min prep0 min cookEasy

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Vietnamese Nuoc Cham

Story updated September 18, 2026

Nuoc cham, Vietnam's ubiquitous dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, sugar, and chile, reflects the central role fish sauce has played in Vietnamese cooking for centuries. It accompanies countless dishes, from spring rolls to grilled meats and noodle bowls.

Ingredients

Scale:· 8 servings

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile, thinly sliced

Instructions

1Whisk fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and warm water together until sugar dissolves.
2Stir in garlic and chile.
3Let sit 10 minutes before serving as a dipping sauce.

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