Vietnamese chili-garlic fish sauce ranks third among world's best dipping sauces

TasteAtlas gave the Vietnamese sauce a score of 4.3 out of 5 in its ranking updated on September 15, based on 1,800 ratings from readers and experts, more than 1,550 of which were verified.

Vietnam, France and Ethiopia lead dipping-sauce ranking

TasteAtlas describes Vietnamese chili-garlic fish sauce as a mixture of fish sauce, lime juice or vinegar, sugar and water, with thinly sliced chili peppers, garlic, shallots, scallions, ginger or fresh herbs often added.

The sauce has many regional variations, while its ingredients can also vary depending on the dish it is served with.

It is commonly served with spring rolls, 'banh xeo', meat and seafood dishes, as well as various noodle and soup dishes.

Another Vietnamese dipping sauce, 'mam nem' sauce, or fermented anchovy dipping sauce, ranked 15th with a score of 3.9 out of 5.

TasteAtlas describes 'mam nem' as a traditional dipping sauce made from fermented anchovies.

It has a stronger and more pungent flavor than many other fish sauces, as it uses the whole fish, while conventional fish sauce is filtered to extract only the liquid.

'Mam nem' is commonly mixed with sugar, chili, lime juice, pineapple and garlic when served with food.

These ingredients enhance its distinctive aroma and flavor, and the sauce is recommended with beef dishes.

Fondue jurassienne from Jura, France, topped the 34-item ranking.

The dish has a centuries-old history and originated as a way to use cheese and leftover bread.

Its main ingredient is Comté cheese, a specialty widely associated with the Jura and Franche-Comté regions.

To make the cheese fondue, high-acidity white wine is first heated in a pan or pot before being combined with Comté cheese and cornstarch and stirred until fully blended.

Kirsch, salt and pepper are then added, and the mixture is transferred to a heated fondue pot rubbed with garlic and placed over a flame.

Once the ingredients are combined and the cheese has melted into a smooth mixture, the fondue jurassienne is ready to serve, ideally with pieces of crusty bread and crudités, or fresh vegetables served sliced or whole.

Awaze from Ethiopia ranked second.

It is a traditional sauce or spice mixture commonly served with various main dishes in Ethiopia.

Typical ingredients include berbere spice, t'ej, an Ethiopian honey wine, and oil.

The ingredients are simply mixed until the desired consistency is reached.

The sauce can then be served immediately or refrigerated.

Awaze can be used as a sauce or dip for meat dishes, added to stews such as wat, or spread on sandwiches.

Ginger and garlic can also be added according to taste, while individual families may have their own recipes, resulting in various versions of the sauce.