Jeow – Laotian Dipping Sauce
I recently ventured out to one of our local Asian markets on the south side of Milwaukee, known as Pacific Produce. I’ve written about this place before, and as it is fairly new, the store always blows my mind as to what it has to offers. One of my favorite things about any Asian market, is what it has to offer in terms of produce, meat and fish, noodles, and well, all of the condiments. It’s one of those places where you can walk out with a few loaded bags for about 30.00. I like that, plus you get to experiment and try new things. One of those new things I was able to try and never have seen before was a fruit called jlum coc.
I had no idea what jlum coc was, so I quickly Googled it and came across a post from Serious Eats.
It appeared to be a type of fruit, typically grown in tropical areas, of which was a bit like a sour apple with some bitter notes to it. I was up for the challenge, and that’s when I recalled a dipping sauce known as Jeow came to mind. I recall hanging out with folks who would slice up sour fruit and make this jeow, a concoction of simple ingredients, and dip into it, hissing from the sour and the spice that blended itself so well together. It was good, really, really good.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of good fish sauce (I like Fish Boat brand)
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp toasted rice powder
- Sour fruit, sliced (such as granny smith apples, raw mango, or coc)
This is so easy to make, and is a perfect balance of sour, spicy, and a bit of sweet.
Mix everything but the sliced fruit into a small mixing bowl, ensuring that the toasted rice does not clump together.
Place in the refrigerator (if you want) for a couple of hours to let the flavors come together.
When you are ready to serve, add some sliced sour fruit to a plate and center the jeow. Dip your fruit into the jeow and take a bite. Trust me, it’s a perfect balance and an awesome dipping sauce to boot. Hope you enjoy!