The world-renowned culinary website Taste Atlas has announced its list of the 100 best dipping sauces in the world, featuring Vietnam’s well-known options: fish sauce and fermented fish sauce.

Fish sauce is ranked 22nd with a score of 4.4 out of 5 stars. 

It serves as both a dipping sauce for traditional dishes and a seasoning for modern cuisine, making it a staple in home-cooked meals and street food stalls across Vietnam.

In the country, fish sauce is served with dishes in two forms: pure fish sauce and sweet fish sauce.

Vietnam's sweet fish sauce. Photo: Taste Atlas

Present at most family meals, celebrations, and street food stalls, sweet fish sauce is prepared with ingredients such as fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or vinegar, garlic, chili, and water, all mixed together. 

Although the same ingredients are used, each household’s version has its own unique flavor, shaped by the mixing method and the maker’s taste.

Sweet fish sauce is commonly paired with dishes like cơm tấm (broken rice topped with grilled pork), spring rolls, and bánh xèo (Vietnamese sizzling cakes), while pure fish sauce complements hot pot, steamed dishes, and boiled foods.

Vietnam's fermented fish sauce.

Fermented fish sauce ranks 96th with a score of 3.9 out of 5 stars. 

This traditional dipping sauce, although less widespread than fish sauce, is gaining popularity across Vietnam. 

Historically, fermented fish sauce was primarily enjoyed in the central provinces, but regional dishes are now becoming more accessible nationwide.

To create a jar of rustic fermented fish sauce, ingredients such as pineapple, ginger, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chili are used to soften the sauce’s strong aroma. 

The process involves combining pure fermented fish sauce with these ingredients in a pot and stirring well, as thorough mixing is key to achieving the desired flavor.

Vietnam's fermented fish sauce is served with rice paper rolls, which include vermicelli, meat, shrimp, and an assortment of fresh vegetables.

While fermented fish sauce is known for its strong salty taste, it can vary by region. 

In the south, for instance, it is often seasoned to be sweeter. 

As a rustic dipping sauce, fermented fish sauce pairs well with dishes like vermicelli, rice paper rolls, and bánh căn (mini Vietnamese pancakes).

Toum, a traditional garlic sauce from Lebanon and Syria, ranks No. 1 on Taste Atlas’ list of the world’s 100 best sauces with a score of 4.7 stars. 

Toum, a traditional garlic sauce from Lebanon and Syria. Photo: Shutterstock

Made from crushed garlic, canola or olive oil, lemon juice, and salt, toum serves as a versatile marinade, sauce, or dip.

In second place is Colombia’s hogao, a rich condiment that combines tomatoes, onions, coriander, garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper. 

Hogao is commonly used as a dipping sauce for meat dishes, arepas (Colombian flatbreads), and rice.

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