Top 10 Must-Have Pantry Items for Vietnamese Cooking
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If you're new to Vietnamese cooking and feeling overwhelmed by the array of choices at your local Asian grocery store, don't worry—I've got you covered.
Here's a quick guide to the top 10 must-have pantry items for Vietnamese cuisine.
Keep an eye out for sales on these items at the Asian grocery stores.
They're staple items that you'll turn to time and time again, especially if you love Vietnamese dishes.
Fish Sauce - Nước Mắm
Coconut Juice - Nước Dừa
Oyster Sauce - Dầu Hào
Bouillon Powder and MSG - Bột Nêm/Bột Ngọt
Maggi Sauce - Nước Tương Maggi
Soy Sauce - Nước Tương
Hoisin Sauce - Tương Đen
Sriracha Sauce - Tương Ớt
Tamarind - Me
Fermented Shrimp Paste - Mắm Tôm/Mắm Ruốc
Fish Sauce - Nước Mắm
Fish sauce is the most popular staple condiment in Vietnamese cuisine.
Fish (usually anchovies), salt, and water are left to ferment in the hot sun for several months to a year, allowing the mixture to break down into its own juices. The resulting liquid is then strained, filtered, and bottled.
Fish sauce has a clear, reddish-brown appearance with a highly pungent aroma and salty taste.
A whiff from the bottle can be overwhelming, but when combined with sugar and other ingredients, the pungency mellows, creating a more delicious flavor profile.
Fish sauce is commonly used in marinades and dipping sauces. It is particularly important for Vietnamese braised dishes (đồ ăn kho).
There are many types of fish sauce, but my all-time favorite is Viet Huong's 3 Crabs Fish Sauce.
Differing brands have different levels of intensity. If using other brands, you will most likely have to adjust to taste.
Recipes with Fish Sauce:
Coconut Juice - Nước Dừa
Coconut juice, or nước dừa, goes hand in hand with fish sauce in Vietnamese cooking.
It's the liquid of choice for braised dishes, adding a subtle sweetness that balances the savory umami flavor of fish sauce.
Depending on the desired sweetness, additional sugar may sometimes be added.
In Vietnam, fresh coconut is readily available, making coconut juice/water the go-to choice.
Here in the States, many Vietnamese families use Coco Rico coconut soda. It's easy to find in Asian supermarkets, affordable, and pantry-stable.
Recipes with Coconut Soda/Juice/Water
Oyster Sauce - Dầu Hào
Oyster sauce is a thick, brown sauce with a earthy, salty, and slightly sweet flavor.
It is traditionally made by simmering oysters in water until the liquid reduces and caramelizes into a thick brown sauce.
A vegetarian version of oyster sauce uses mushrooms instead of oysters.
Oyster sauce is often used with vegetables, rice, and noodles in stir-fry dishes.
It's also used as a marinade for proteins such as chicken, beef, pork and tofu.
My favorite oyster sauce is Lee Kum Kee's Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce.
Recipes with Oyster Sauce
Bouillon Powder and MSG - Bột Nêm/Bột Ngọt
Bouillon Powder - Bột Nêm/Hạt Nêm
Pork, chicken, and mushroom powders are used in many traditional Vietnamese dishes, providing great authentic well-rounded flavor.
Try a recipe without it and it's simply not the same. Most Vietnamese cookbooks published in America typically don’t list the use of bouillon powders in the recipes and those recipes may be missing out on some great flavor.
In Vietnamese cooking, bouillon powder is never meant to be used on their own, rather as a seasoning.
If you use bouillon powder as a way to replace traditional stock, you will be disappointed.
I typically use bouillon powders for soupy dishes. I also add bouillon powder in protein marinades that need an extra boost of flavor.
Chicken bouillon powder is the easiest to find in the United States. They are readily available in both Asian and Latino supermarkets.
There are many different types of chicken bouillon powders. My go-to brand is Totole Granulated Chicken Flavor Soup Base.
Mushroom bouillon powder/seasoning is also readily available in only Asian supermarkets. This Imperial brand is my go-to and you can find them typically next to to the chicken bouillon powder.
Pork bouillon powder, in my experience, can only be found in Vietnam.
I use these bouillons interchangeably but use mushroom for strictly vegetarian dishes.
MSG - Bột Ngọt
MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. It is a common ingredient in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese and Chinese cooking.
It makes food taste better by adding a savory, umami flavor.
MSG is found naturally in foods like tomatoes and cheese but is often used in its pure form to enhance flavors.
In Vietnamese dishes, it's added to soups, broths, stir-fries, and marinades to make them more delicious.
Although some people worry about MSG, studies have shown that it's safe to eat in normal amounts.
Traditional Vietnamese cooking uses a combination of bouillon powder and MSG.
However, some people want to strictly add the umami without the other flavorings and that’s where MSG comes into play.
I typically pick up the Asian Ajinomoto brand in the clear bag at the grocery store.
Recipes with Bouillon Stock Powder and/or MSG:
Soy Sauce
There are so, so many soy sauces. Soy sauces alone will fill the whole aisle in Asian grocery stores because there are just so many different kinds: light, dark, sweet, savory etc.
An essential condiment in Asian and Vietnamese cooking, soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans.
It is a brown salty liquid used to add a salty flavor to marinades, stir-fries, and dipping sauces.
In the United States, you may notice four main varieties on the shelf: Light, Dark, Tamari and Shoyu
Light soy sauce: An all-purpose soy sauce. If a recipe calls for soy sauce without further specification, you are safe to assume light soy sauce.
Dark soy sauce: A darker, thicker, and richer soy sauce made with the addition of molasses and cornstarch. It's actually not as salty but a little sweeter than light soy sauce and aged for a longer period. Dark soy sauce is mainly used to color or darken a dish. Dark soy sauce may also be labeled as thick soy sauce.
Shoyu - A Japanese variety of all-purpose soy sauce.
Tamari: The gluten-free Japanese variety of soy sauce made with little to no wheat.
Recipes with Soy Sauces:
Maggi Seasoning
Maggi seasoning is a popular flavor liquid flavor enhancer in Vietnamese cooking.
It's a dark, savory sauce made from fermented wheat protein, which gives it a rich umami taste.
Maggi seasoning is especially important for the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich or fried eggs that every Vietnamese kid loves.
Recipes with Maggi Sauce:
Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a sweet and salty sauce made from fermented soybeans, garlic, vinegar, and sugar.
It has a thick, dark consistency and a rich, complex taste.
In Vietnamese cuisine, hoisin sauce is commonly added to pho, giving the broth an extra layer of flavor.
Hoisin also used in stir-fries, marinades, and dipping sauces.
It is a key ingredient in Vietnamese peanut sauce, adding a unique sweet-savory kick that goes well with Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (Gỏi Cuốn).
Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce is my favorite brand.
Recipes with Hoisin:
Sriracha
Sriracha sauce is a spicy, tangy condiment made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.
It has a smooth, thick consistency and a bright red color.
Sriracha sauce is commonly used to add heat and flavor to various dishes.
You'll typically find Sriracha sauce on the table at pho restaurants, along with hoisin sauce. Add it to your pho or other dishes to customize the heat level to your liking.
Huy Fong Sriracha hot chili sauce is my favorite brand.
Recipes with Sriracha:
Tamarind
You can find tamarind in various forms: pulp, paste, powder, and concentrate in Asian grocery stores.
It is a tangy fruit widely used in Vietnamese cooking for its distinctive sour flavor.
In Vietnamese cuisine, tamarind is essential in dishes like canh chua, a traditional sour soup, and seafood.
I prefer tamarind pulp in my cooking because it’s strictly tamarind and doesn’t include other flavors.
Recipes with Tamarind:
Fermented Shrimp Paste
Fermented shrimp paste/sauce, known as mắm ruốc in Vietnamese cuisine, is a pungent condiment made from fermented shrimp or krill.
It has a strong umami flavor and a distinctive aroma due to the fermentation process.
Similarly, mắm tôm, another fermented shrimp paste variant, is also used in Vietnamese cooking.
Mắm ruốc and mắm tôm are used to add a different kind of salty flavor to dishes.
They are commonly incorporated into dipping sauces, noodle soups, and stir-fries.
Recipes with Shrimp Paste: