Vietnam is popularly known as an S-shaped country located in Southeast Asia, at the edge. The Vietnamese are widely known for their food-preserving tradition for generations, even before they started using glass jars and bottles.
Vietnamese food culture circles around pickled vegetables (especially pickled carrot), fermented sauces, herbal syrups, and rice-wine drinks.
This article takes a close look at how Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon (đồ chua) and other foods and drinks are stored in glass jars and alcohol bottles with practical tips for anyone in the UK that want’s to try these Vietnamese foods and drinks in their homes.
The Transition from Che Jars to Glass Jars in Vietnam's Food-Storage Tradition
Vietnam’s tropical monsoon climate has played a major role in its method of food preservation, making it both essential and creative. Vietnam’s climate is influenced by it’s locaction, being bordered by China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South China Sea to the east. Before the widespread use of refrigeration, the Vietnamese households used pickling, fermenting, and drying (to date) to preserve their food.
In Vietnam, the Ede and Mnong ethnic groups, based in the Central Highlands, built a unique storage tradition using large ceramic che jars, which are hand‑coiled clay vessels, often standing over a metre tall, used to ferment rice alcohol (ruou can). Often, when a guest arrives or a ceremony takes place, villagers sip the alcohol through long bamboo tubes straight from the jar. It’s a communal, sacred act that has continued for centuries.
Even though the jars are still made and used for rituals, Vietnamese kitchens are increasingly switching to clear glass bottles and jars for several reasons, such as offering a hygienic, see‑through, and reusable alternative.
Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon (Đồ Chua) in Glass Jars
Đồ chua, which simply means “sour things,” is a classic pickled-vegetable condiment made from julienned carrots and daikon radish preserved in a sweet, tangy brine that is served in different forms almost every day in Vietnam, such as topping in bánh mì sandwiches, with grilled pork and vermicelli noodle bowls, and used as a condiment with slow-braised meats.
Making đồ chua at home is simple, and a wide-mouth glass pickling jar is ideal for both the fermentation process and the long-term storage that follows. Here is what makes the process work so well in glass:
● Glass is completely inert and does not react with the vinegar and sugar brine, while maintaining the flavour of the carrots and daikon.
● Its transparency allows you to see the colour and texture of the pickles at a glance.
● The wide-mouth opening of the glass jar makes packing julienned vegetables tightly into the jar easy.
● Glass jars are easier to sterilise and reuse batch after batch without any degradation in their quality or hygiene.
Đồ Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon) Recipe in Wide-Mouth Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 2 medium carrots, julienned into thin matchsticks
● 1 medium daikon radish, julienned into thin matchsticks
● 1 teaspoon salt
● 240ml white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
● 240ml warm water
● 3 tablespoons caster sugar
Method
● Place the carrots and daikon with the salt and leave for 15 minutes to draw out moisture, then rinse and pat dry.
● Dissolve the sugar in warm water and vinegar to make the brine.
● Pack the vegetables tightly into a sterilised wide-mouth glass jar.
● Pour the brine over until the carrot and daikon are fully submerged in the brine and seal with an airtight lid.
● Leave it at room temperature for one to three days, then refrigerate.
● The pickles are ready when they are lightly tangy and still have a good crunch. Use within three weeks once you refrigerate it.
Vietnamese Fermented Sauces, Mắm, and Herbal Drinks in Glass Bottles
Beyond pickled vegetables, Vietnam has one of the world's richest traditions of fermented liquid condiments, and glass bottles are increasingly used for storing and serving them
Vietnamese Fermented Sauces (Mắm)
Mắm is a fermented condiment made from fish and seafood products, and is a key condiment in Vietnamese cooking, which comes in various types, including:
● Mắm Nêm: It’s a fermented anchovy sauce often mixed with pineapples, sugar, and chilli, commonly served with pork rice paper rolls (bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo).
● Mắm Tôm: It’s a purple fermented shrimp paste, famous in northern Vietnam for bún đậu mắm tôm (vermicelli with tofu).
● Mắm Ruốc: It’s a milder fermented tiny shrimp sauce used in cooking or as a dipping sauce.
● Mắm Cá Linh: It is a special fermented fish from the Mekong Delta.
Traditionally, making mắm involves layering fish or seafood with salt in large wooden or ceramic barrels and leaving them to ferment for months. The liquid, once strained and filtered, is a deeply savoury, umami-rich sauce used in cooking and when eating meals.
These sauces are stored or packaged in food-grade glass bottles because glass does not interact with the high salt content and strong aromatics of the fermented fish products over time.
Vietnamese Herbal Drinks (Nước Sâm)
Herbal drink concentrates and sweet fruit syrups are another food category where we see the increased use of glass bottles in Vietnamese food culture.
These herbal‑drink concentrates, like the popular nước sâm, are made from artichoke (trà atisô) or job’s tears(Sâm Bổ Lượng), usually an ingredient in a different type of drink/soup, and home‑brewed rice wines, which are often stored or sold in glass bottles or repurposed alcohol bottles with a tight cork or screw cap.
Other Vietnamese Sauce and Herbal Drink Recipes Stored in Glass Jars and Alcohol Bottles
Fermented Chilli and Garlic Sauce Recipe in Pickle Jars
Ingredients
● 200g fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
● 4 garlic cloves, peeled
● 1 teaspoon salt
● 1 teaspoon caster sugar
● 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Method
● Blend the chillies and garlic into a rough paste, not completely smooth
● Stir in the salt, sugar, and vinegar
● Pack the blended chillies and garlic into a sterilised glass pickle jar and seal.
● Pour in the brine
● Leave it at room temperature for two to three days to allow it to gently ferment, then refrigerate.
● The sauce can last for up to four weeks in the fridge and can be drizzled over rice, noodles, grilled meats, or stirred into soups.
Herbal Honey and Ginger Syrup Recipe in Glass Bottles
Ingredients
● 300ml water
● 200g honey
● 50g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
● Juice of one lemon
● A small handful of fresh mint or lemongrass (optional)
Method
● Combine the water, honey, and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the honey dissolves.
● Add the lemon juice and herbs (if you are using), then simmer for a further 10 minutes.
● Strain through a fine sieve and pour into a sterilised glass bottle while still warm.
● Seal and leave to cool completely before refrigerating.
● You can dilute with still or sparkling water to taste, and it can be kept for up to three weeks in the fridge.
3 Interesting Things About Vietnam's Food and Jar Culture
1. Vietnamese Che jars are Family Heirlooms
The che jars are treasured family heirlooms, especially among the Ede and Mnong communities in Vietnam. These large ceramic jars are used to ferment and store rượu cần (rice alcohol), which can be worth as much as a buffalo in traditional exchanges, and are passed from generation to generation as markers of family wealth and social standing. These jars were brought out for weddings, funerals, and harvest celebrations, which are some of the most important moments in communities
2. Đồ Chua is on Almost Every Meal Table
In Vietnam, Đồ chua is so rooted in their food culture that it is almost impossible to imagine a bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) or dinner’s grilled fish without it. The pickled carrots and daikon provide the essential sharp, tangy flavour (acid) that balances the richness of pâté, mayonnaise, and grilled or roasted meats.
3. Glass Containers are Some of The Most Used Storage/Packaging Containers for Vietnamese Food
Glass jars and bottles have been increasingly used in storing, pickling, fermenting, and serving Vietnamese food and drinks because they maintain the colour and flavour of Vietnamese sauces, drinks, and syrups in ways that plastic may compromise.
Fish sauce, for example, develops unusual taste and odour in plastic bottles over time as the plastic interacts with the salt and organic acids, causing leaching of chemicals. But in glass bottles, it retains its original flavour and colour.
Guide on Using Glass Jars and Bottles in the UK for Vietnamese Food
In the UK, you can still make your own Vietnamese đồ chua, chilli sauces, and fermented condiments at home because the ingredients (carrots, daikon, vinegar, fish sauce, and fresh chillies) are widely available in UK supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, and the recipe is easy to follow.
Another important factor is the glass containers needed, which we also have in our wide collection of glass jars and bottles. Here is how to use the right container for each recipe we shared earlier in this article:
● Use wide-mouth pickle jars (500ml-1.5 litres) for đồ chua and other Vietnamese pickled vegetables, because the wide opening makes it easier to fill and pick the vegetables clean and easily.
● Use standard jam jars (250ml-500ml) with solid screw-top lids for condiments, chilli sauces, and fermented pastes that are used in small quantities daily.
● Always request standard food-grade glass for pickles, sauces, and syrups, especially if you plan to ferment in the jar or bottle.
● Use glass bottles (depending on the size) with swing-top, cork, or screw-top closures for herbal syrups, homemade drinks, and fermented fish sauces, and preferably amber or green glass for anything light-sensitive.
If you need help finding the right glass jars or glass bottles for Vietnamese pickles, sauces, and drinks, we can always assist you, as we have 30+ years of experience in sourcing the right glass containers for homeowners and businesses.
You can explore our wide collection of glass jars and bottles suitable for Vietnamese pickles, sauces, as well as our glass bottles for fermented sauces, syrups, and drinks.