Four Popular Vietnamese Unripe Green Mango Dipping Sauces

In Vietnam, mangoes are rarely eaten when ripe. It’s the tart and crunchy unripe green mangoes that is highly sought after. When unripe green mangoes are paired with a sweet, spicy and savory dipping sauce or powder, it becomes a popular Southeast Asian snack. Here are the four popular dipping sauces that you can eat with unripe green mangoes.

Muoi Ot / Chili Salt

If you've ever been to Asia, you've probably seen street vendors selling their freshly cut fruits with small packets of this popular chili salt powder (Muoi Ot). Salt is always paired with fruits, as it brings out the flavor and the fruit natural sweetness. Muoi Ot is the simplest and most popular way to eat crunchy and tart green mangoes. It is made by mixing together red chili peppers and salt with either a mortar and pestle or food processor.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2-4 red chili peppers

Instructions

1. In either a food processor or a mortar/pestle, mix together salt and chili until fully combined.
2. Serve with peeled, sliced green mangoes.

Green Mangoes with Muoi Tom (Salt with Dried Shrimp)

Muoi Tom / Salt with Dried Shrimp

Muoi Tom is a dipping powder made by mixing together salted dried shrimp, sugar and salt. This dipping powder has more umami flavor than the regular chili salt due to the addition of dried shrimp.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons small dried salted shrimp
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon granulated white sugar

Instructions

1. Soak shrimp until softened. Drain dry. Firmly pound the shrimp in the mortar to a fairly fine powder or place in a food processor.
2. Heat up vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Add powdered shrimp and toss constantly over low heat until shrimp is completely dry and toasted. Set aside to cool.
3. Add salt and sugar. Mix until fully combined.
4. Serve with peeled, sliced green mangoes.

Green Mangoes with Sweet Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam Duong)

Nuoc Mam Duong / Sweet fish Sauce

Nuoc Mam Duong is a sweet and salty dipping sauce made from a mixture of fish sauce, sugar and red chili peppers. It’s a thick sauce made from a higher ratio of sugar than fish sauce. This dipping sauce combined with tart green mangoes is a classic Southeast Asian flavor combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 2-4 red chili peppers (thinly slice)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together fish sauce and sugar until fully dissolved.
2. Add chili peppers.
3. Serve with peeled, sliced green mangoes.

Green Mangoes with Mam Ruoc (Shrimp Paste)

Mam Ruoc / Shrimp Paste

This dipping sauce is for the more adventurous. Mam Ruoc is fermented shrimp paste, which is salty and pungent in aroma and flavor. This dipping sauce starts off with frying lemongrass, shallots, garlic and red chili peppers together with a bit of vegetable oil. The shrimp paste is thinned out with a bit of water, then combined to the aromatic mixture. Sugar is lastly added to reduce the saltiness of the shrimp paste.

Makes about ⅔ cup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small shallot (about 3 tablespoons finely diced)
• 1 small stem lemongrass (tender bottom part only; about 1 tablespoon finely minced)
• 4 garlic cloves (about 1-½ tablespoons finely diced)
• 3-4 red chili peppers (slice thin)
• 3 tablespoons fermented shrimp paste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4-½ tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

1. In a medium frying pan, heat vegetable oil on high. Add shallots, lemongrass, garlic and chili peppers. Fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2. Add shrimp paste and water. Stir together until shrimp paste is fully dissolved.
3. Add sugar to taste. Mix until combined. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low until mixture thickens to your desired consistency. Sauce will continue to thicken once cooled.
4. Serve with peeled, sliced green mangoes.