What is the best ratio of daikon to carrots for authentic Vietnamese Đồ Chua?

While many home cooks prefer a 50-50 balance for a milder, colorful pickle, authentic Vietnamese Đồ Chua traditionally uses significantly more daikon radish than carrots. The pickle is defined by the crunchy, subtly peppery daikon, with carrots used more sparingly as a color accent. You can adjust this ratio entirely to your taste or what is available at the store.

Why do you salt the vegetables before making Đồ Chua, and how is it done?

Salting is the key step for achieving crunchy, not soggy, pickles. The salt draws out excess moisture from the sliced daikon and carrots. To do this, toss the cut vegetables with one heaping tablespoon of salt and let them sit in a strainer over a bowl for at least 30 minutes. You must then rinse the vegetables 2 to 3 times and squeeze them dry to remove the salt before pickling.

How long should I let Đồ Chua pickle before eating?

The pickles are ready to eat after sitting at room temperature for about 24 hours. A cooler room (around 70°F or 21°C) might need slightly more time. After this initial pickling period, you should transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The flavor will continue to develop and deepen as they chill.

What is the correct vinegar and sugar ratio for the pickling brine?

A classic and balanced brine starts with one cup of boiling water, six tablespoons of cane sugar, and four tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. The sugar must be fully dissolved in the hot water before adding the vinegar. Always let this mixture cool completely before pouring it over your salted and dried vegetables to maintain their crunch.

Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables Đồ Chua: Tangy Crunchy Pickles For Every Meal

Ingredients

Scale

Veggies
250 g daikon radish, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
250 g carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 heaping tbsp salt

Pickling Liquid
1 cup boiling hot water
6 tbsp cane sugar, or to taste
4 tbsp vinegar

Additional Liquid
2–3 tbsp water, extra if needed

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Instructions

Veggies
1-In a large strainer with a catch: In a large strainer with a catch basin, place the sliced radish and carrot. Add in the salt and mix well to coat the veggies in the salt.
2-Leave to sit for at least 30: Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes to remove some of the liquid from the veggies.

Pickling Liquid
3-Meanwhile, prepare the pickling liquid by mixing: Meanwhile, prepare the pickling liquid by mixing together the hot water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the vinegar. Feel free to adjust to your desired sweetness and sourness levels. Leave this mixture to completely cool.

Pickling the Veggies
4-After leaving the veggies to sit, run: After leaving the veggies to sit, run it through water 2-3 times to wash out the salt.
5-Drain the veggies from the water and: Drain the veggies from the water and carefully squeeze to remove the excess liquid.
6-Transfer the veggies into the jar: Transfer the veggies into the jar. Carefully compress into the jar.
7-Pour the liquid into the jar to: Pour the liquid into the jar to completely submerge the veggies. If the veggies aren’t submerged, feel free to add 2-3 tbsp more water to completely submerge.
8-Seal the bottle well then give the: Seal the bottle well then give the bottle a good shake (if you added more water).

Storage
9-You can leave the jar in room: You can leave the jar in room temperature to allow it to pickle. I left mine for 24 hours before placing it in the refrigerator. Note that this can depend on your room temperate. The room temperature here is usually at 30C.

Last Step:

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Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Method: no_cook

Nutrition

Calories: 438 kcal
Sugar: 90 g
Sodium: 229 mg
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 106 g
Fiber: 11 g
Protein: 4 g