Thai Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

Makes 2 cups

Active time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 10 minutes

1 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup fish sauce (nam pla)

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

6 garlic cloves, minced

11/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Combine vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until sugar is dissolved. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: The sauce can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

Brown sugar is granulated sugar mixed with molasses, and the darker the color the more pronounced the molasses flavor. If you have only light brown sugar and a recipe calls for dark brown sugar, add 2 tablespoons of molasses per half-cup of sugar to replicate the taste.