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Đồ Chua (Pickled daikon and carrots)

By Tu Le
(True translation is “pickled stuff.”) If you’ve had banh mi, most likely you’ve had đồ chua. I add it to fresh herbs and lettuce-wrapped crispy spring rolls (chả giò) dipped in nước chấm with additional chilies.

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound carrots
  • ½ pound daikon radish
  • 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute (not honey)
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • ½ cup white or rice vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Wash, peel, and cut into matchsticks/julienne carrots and daikon. In a colander over a bowl, toss salt with carrots and daikon, allow to soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently rinse and squeeze excess water from vegetables. Add to sterilized jar(s).
  • Heat sugar, water, and vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Pour cooled vinegar mixture over vegetables until completely submerged. Seal jars and allow to ferment on the counter for 2 to 4 days. After the first 24 hours, check the ferment every 12 hours and taste if the sourness is to your liking. Place in refrigerator, it will keep for a couple of weeks.
  • Ferment will be different for each batch; humidity, heat, and air will play a part. I typically do a 2-day ferment, sometimes 4 during the winter months.