Vietnamese Tamarind Dipping Sauce

Sweet, tangy with a touch of spicy, this Vietnamese dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment to any grilled fish or seafood. In Southeast Asian cooking, sauces are also enjoyed with rice or noodle bowls. The ingredients that go into a sauce, what spices and herbs are added, make each sauce distinct from others. This dipping sauce offers up a great flavorful combination with each tantalizing bite.

Citrus juice is a common ingredient. Lime is native to Southeast Asia so it is used more often than lemon. Kalamansi, more acidic than lime, is another citrus that grows in the region. And then, there's tamarind. Not as easy to use than vinegar or citrus juice but definitely worth all the extra steps in the preparation.

Tamarind is a tree and the fruits are pod-like. The pulp of a young tamarind fruit is sour and ideal for making sour broths and sauces. Worcestershire sauce contains tamarind extract. As the fruit matures, the pulp becomes sweeter. At that stage, tamarind is made into candy or jam or pressed to make juice drinks.