ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nộm

Nộm is a Vietnamese dish that is made out of fresh vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, and herbs (which are like leaves that carry a lot of flavor). Imagine that you are playing with your toy kitchen and you decide to make a salad using your toy vegetables - that's kind of what nộm is!

First, you would chop up your toy vegetables into small pieces, just like how the adults chop the real vegetables for nộm. Then, you would add in some peanuts (which are like tiny crunchy snacks) and maybe some meat or fish, if you have them. After that, you'd pour over a dressing made out of lime juice (which tastes sour and tangy), fish sauce (which is salty), and sugar (which is sweet).

Finally, you would mix everything together with your toy fork and spoon, and voila! You've made a toy version of nộm. In real life, people eat nộm with rice or as a side dish with meat.

Nộm is a great way to eat lots of healthy vegetables and get lots of different flavors all in one dish. Plus, it's fun to chop up the vegetables and mix everything together, just like playing with your toy kitchen!