Đồ Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Daikon and Carrots for Banh Mì)

I’ve made and eaten countless bánh mì in my life, adopting a liberal approach that can make traditionalists frown. Sometimes I take the one-hour trip to the Asian grocery store to get some Vietnamese-style baguettes and all the fixings, like pâté and chả lụa (Vietnamese-style ham). On other days, a hoagie roll stuffed with over-easy eggs and cilantro, drizzled with soy sauce, is just as good to me. The fillings vary, but what breathes the bánh mì spirit into these sandwiches is đồ chua (pickled carrot and daikon radish).

Đồ chua (literally “sour stuff”) is as generic a name as can be, but almost always means pickled carrot and daikon. Its bright sourness and crunch add a fresh element to a classic bánh mì, but đồ chua is also served with other dishes, cutting through the richness of the meat in hearty cơm tấm (broken rice), bún thịt nướng (rice vermicelli with grilled pork) and many renditions of savory sticky rice. You’ll also see đồ chua in a variety of dipping sauces, including the fish sauce-based nước chấm and tương—hoisin peanut sauce for gỏi cuốn (spring roll).

When making my own đồ chua, I prefer to have more daikon than carrot, as I like its lighter crispiness, but the ratio is entirely up to you. Note that the pickle will develop a slight funk as daikon sits in the brine and releases its sulfur content—that is perfectly normal. If you don’t like the smell, open the jar and wait for a few minutes before eating, or simply omit the daikon entirely.

How you cut the vegetables is important in determining their texture. I find sticks of about 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick and 3 inches long the most versatile, as they give the right amount of crunch that works in bánh mì, cơm tấm, and salads. Thinner strips, while better for dunking into dipping sauces, lack a snappy bite. In Vietnam, pre-cut carrots and daikon for đồ chua are common in wet markets, where they come in different shapes and sizes.  

Once you have the vegetables ready, the rest follows a quick pickle process that involves a simple brine of vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (which I also use for purple cabbage, kohlrabi, papaya, and cucumber). You can also add whole bird’s eye chiles and garlic for a little kick, but I prefer to keep it neutral.

Before using, let the pickle sit for at least two hours. That takes away the sharp earthiness of the carrot and allows the sweet-tangy flavors to meld. Chilled in the fridge, đồ chua can be kept for about two weeks.

I like to have a jar of đồ chua on hand, using it as both a condiment and a side dish. You can drain the daikon and carrot and toss them with lettuce or other leafy greens to make a salad. Combine the brine with some oil for a light vinaigrette or fish sauce for nước chấm. And if you have some rotisserie chicken and sourdough, đồ chua can give you a bánh mì approximation in no time.