If you visit Hanoi, you’ll definitely spot a jar of pickled garlic on the tables of all Phở vendors, especially those serving Beef Phở. It beautifully balances the rich flavor of the beef broth.
This is Giấm Tỏi (or Tỏi Ngâm Giấm). Making this condiment is much easier than you might think. It’s not only perfect for Phở but also incredibly versatile in Vietnamese cooking.

Pickled Garlic – The Essential Condiment for Northern Phở
Hanoi’s street food is in a league of its own.
Some dishes are unmatched anywhere else, such as Bún Chả (rice noodles with grilled pork), Cà Phê Trứng (egg coffee), Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm (rice noodles with fried tofu and shrimp paste), Chả Cá Thăng Long (turmeric fish with dill), and Bánh Cuốn (steamed rice rolls).

When it comes to Phở, I’m a huge fan of Hanoi’s Chicken Phở (I even have a recipe for Hanoi-style Instant Pot Chicken Phở for when I’m craving it in Germany). As for Beef Phở, I tend to lean more toward the Southern version.
Northern and Southern Phở are quite different, each offering its own unique set of accompaniments.
Hanoians are deeply traditional with their Phở. They prefer to keep the condiments simple, letting the broth’s original flavor shine—no hoisin sauce, no signature Phở herbs, and no blanched bean sprouts.
Instead, they lightly season their Phở with fish sauce, homemade fermented chili sauce, lime, or this essential pickled garlic (giấm tỏi).

Giấm Tỏi translates to “Garlic Vinegar” in Vietnamese. At first, I wasn’t particularly impressed by this condiment, but after making it at home, I became hooked.
Now, I can’t resist adding it to any kind of noodle soup to balance out the broth—similar to how I use this Vietnamese lemongrass chili oil when I want an extra kick.
Ingredients

- Garlic: I use small softneck garlic from Lý Sơn island (the garlic and onion kingdom in Vietnam). You can use any garlic in your kitchen. Avoid using young and new garlic (I’ll explain why later).
- Red chili (optional): I use Thai chili, but you can opt for goat horn chili or jalapeño if you prefer less heat.
- Rice vinegar
- Salt and sugar
Instructions
- Sterilize the glass jar and its lid (note that metal lids may rust due to the vinegar).
- Thinly slice or dice the garlic into small cubes. If your garlic has small cloves like mine, you can skip this step.
- Thinly slice the chili.
- Boil a pot of water and blanch the garlic and chili for 30 seconds.
- In the jar, pickle the garlic and chili in a brine of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Keep it in the fridge overnight before using.




Troubleshooting Tips
If your pickled garlic turns green or blue, don’t worry. This is a normal chemical reaction between the sulfur compounds in garlic and the acid. The younger the garlic, the more likely this is to happen. To avoid this, use mature garlic and blanch it to reduce the sulfur content, or soak the garlic slices/cubes in water overnight.
Green or blue pickled garlic is still safe to eat. In fact, jade green pickled garlic, known as Laba Garlic (腊八蒜), is beloved in Northern China. The green color indicates that the garlic is young and fresh.
How to enjoy Giấm Tỏi

Beyond Phở, Giấm Tỏi is fantastic with any noodle soups such as:
It’s also perfect for noodle salads or dry noodles like:
Use Giấm Tỏi to make dipping sauces, truly a game changer:
Other Vietnamese Pickles
In Vietnam, main dishes are often served with a side of pickles or a generous amount of fresh fragrant herbs (Rau Thơm in Vietnamese). These accompaniments help balance the flavors and keep the meal appetizing, especially when the main dishes are rich or greasy.
Here are some popular pickle side dishes in Vietnam:
Pickled Carrots & Daikon (Đồ Chua): A popular pickle in Southern cuisine. You can find it everywhere, from Bánh Mì and Bánh Xèo (crispy pancakes) to Cơm Tấm (broken rice platter).
Pickled Mustard Greens (Dưa Chua): A must-have side dish for Thịt Kho Trứng (braised pork and eggs) and Cá Kho (caramelized fish), or made into mustard green soup.
Pickled Eggplants (Cà Muối): Another popular side dish.
Pickled Cabbage (Dưa Bắp Cải Muối): Also great with Thịt Kho Trứng and Cá Kho.
Pickled Shallots (Dưa Hành): A beloved pickle during Tết holidays. It’s also popular in Danang and Hoi An, accompanying Hoi An Chicken Rice, Bún Bò Huế (Hue spicy beef noodle soup), and Mì Quảng (turmeric noodle soup).
Pickled Vegetables in Fish Sauce (Dưa Món): Another popular Tết side dish, excellent with Bánh Chưng (square sticky rice cake) and Bánh Tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake).

Vietnamese Pickled Garlic For Phở (Giấm Tỏi)
Ingredients
- 1.7 oz peeled garlic (50g)
- 3 Thai chilies (optional)(to your taste)
- ½ US Cup rice vinegar (120ml)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Sterilize the glass jar and lid, keeping in mind that metal lids might rust from the vinegar.
- Slice or dice the garlic into small pieces. If the cloves are small (like mine), you can skip this step.
- Thinly slice the chilies, too.
- Boil water and blanch the garlic and chili for 30 seconds.
- Pack the garlic and chili into the jar and cover them with a brine made of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Refrigerate overnight before using.