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This is an all purpose dipping sauce that can be modified to suit different foods. For example, pickled green papaya and carrot are added when serving with crispy fried spring rolls (cha gio) . Ginger and lemon leaves are added (and no water) when serving with seafood such as snails or crab. And if you shy away from the full pungent strength of Mam Tom (shrimp paste sauce) when eating cha ca or bun dau, you can compromise by diluting some mam tom in a bowl of nuoc mam cham.

Preparation

Dissolve sugar in rice vinegar and lime juice. Add fish sauce and water. Adjust to taste. Add garlic and chili. Adjust again to taste.

This secret to this sauce is making it to suit your own tastes. The proportions are not a science, so you should use the recipe as a starting point, then adjust the sugar, lime and fish sauce to a balance you enjoy. Personally, I like my dipping sauce tart, so I tend to add less sugar and more lime juice. If you cannot get Thai limes or key lime (or lime juice) you might trying substituting with more rice vinegar as other varieties of limes in the west tend to be highly acidic and sharp. This is supposed to be a somewhat mild all purpose dipping sauce, so the water is added to mellow the flavors.

Lightly pickled green papaya and carrot slices are often added to this sauce (if you do, strain out the garlic and chilies first). To prepare these, cut green papaya and carrots into thin slices, then small pieces and marinate with a little salt, pinch of sugar and splash of vinegar.