This is the most well known dipping sauce in Vietnam and it is served on the side or drizzled over most dishes. It varies from region to region with some adding palm sugar and / or coconut water to sweeten it.

Generally papaya is used in this dish, which is used in Vietnamese cooking as a vegetable. In NZ, it is really hard to find green papaya so I replace it with mango which has that same deep, dry, sweet flavour when green – which I love, love, love and it works so well with the prawn and pork.

Pan Fried Snapper with Turmeric & Dill (Cha Ca) is one of Hanoi’s most loved dishes, in fact there is a whole street with it’s name and where you can also find loads of restaurants – of course serving this dish. There is a restaurant called Cha Ca La Vong which has been serving this dish for four generations.

Lemongrass is one of the most essential ingredients in Vietnamese cooking. It has a fab citrus, gingery aroma that opens up the palate leaving behind the most uplifting flavours.