Chopping board
Bowls
Knife
Spoons

Dipping Sauce- Nuoc cham - Nước Chấm- is a very big topic in Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls. There is no standard in making this sauce. Each family has its own version due to the tastes of members of the family. Ingredients are also different in regions in Vietnam: Southern, Central and Northern. Southern is sweeter, Central is saltier, and Northen is more balance leaning to sour.

This recipe is sponsored by Mrs Lan Chung's kitchen. Lan was born in a Vietnam's Southern province so her recipe has a flavour of sweet taste.

about 125ml water
3 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoon fish-sauce (Squid brand from Coles)
2 tablespoon lemon juice (or lime juice)
4 garlic cloves (skin removed)
2 red long chilli (seed removed)

Fish sauce is the authentic dipping sauce for rice paper rolls. It is the most popular sauce which is eaten by each family in Vietnam, from generation to generation. Click here to see the other popular rice paper rolls dipping sauces.

1. Chop garlic and chilli, mix them, and then finely chop. Put them into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the water (125ml) and 3 teaspoon sugar into a second small bowl. Stir well until the sugar has fully dissolved.
3. Put the fish-sauce (4 tablespoons) into the mixture above, and stir well. It depends on the salty level of fish-sauce, you should put each spoon at a time, stir it, taste it, and put more.
4. Add the lemon juice (2 tablespoons), and stir well. Taste the balance of fish dipping sauce. There should be a balance in sweetness, sour, and salty.
5. Pour gradually the mix of fish sauce from the second bowl into the first bowl containing garlic and chilli.
6. Stir well the combination in both directions (vertical and horizontal).
7. Serve for each person in an individual dipping bowl.