I am Vietnamese, I like fish sauce . . . BUT Vietnamese fish sauce is NOT just plain fish sauce. It’s far more complex—a delicate balance between water, fish sauce, sugar, and the right amount of acidity. And (every Vietnamese person including me thinks) it’s AH-MAAAAAAAAAZING with everything!
2–4 SERVINGS
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup fish sauce
2½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 Thai chilies, stemmed and finely chopped
1 cup Coco Rico brand soda
1 cup key lime or lime juice
BALLS OUT
40–80 SERVINGS
5¼ quarts sugar
5¼ quarts fish sauce
4¼ cups minced garlic
67 Thai chilies, stemmed and finely chopped
7 quarts Coco Rico brand soda
7 quarts key lime or lime juice
1. In a pot, dissolve sugar into fish sauce on low heat. Remove from heat and add garlic, chilies, soda, and key lime juice. Stir it all in, taste it (it should be lightly sweet and barely fishlike savory, with a little bit of tanginess), and adjust to your liking; but remember, the main ingredients are sugar, water, and acid/limes. If you have too much of one ingredient, you will have to balance the flavor by adding appropriate amounts of the other two main ingredients.
2. Let it sit for 30 minutes before using.
Refrigerate unused sauce and serve with anything and everything—it will get better, spicier, and more Vietnamese-approved over time.