Flavor of the Week: Nuoc cham brings sugar and umami to menus

Nuoc cham is a quintessential dipping sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. At its core, it’s made of fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, but there are endless possibilities to customize it with additional ingredients and flavors. The condiment lends itself to virtually any protein and is a key accompaniment to Vietnamese spring rolls. Although currently found on fewer than 1% of menus, this sauce’s presence on menus has risen by75% over the past four years.