Finadene, a mixture of soysauce, vinegar and yum

 Finadene is one of the most flavorful and delicious things I've ever tasted.  It's a Guam, soy sauce and vinegar mixture that is to die for.  It goes really great with barbecued meats of any kind, and rice and even vegetables.  The only thing I haven't tried it on is ice cream and I'm sure it would be good there too.  There are probably a million and one ways to make Finadene.  Every family and really every person has their own recipe for it. Some people like it more spicy, some like it with tomatoes, some like it with cucumbers(one of my favorites), some like it with lemon juice instead of vinegar.  I've had it many ways and they are all good.  So I'd like to share a kind of base recipe as a jumping off point.  

Ingredients:
serves 6-8

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
4-5 small Vietnamese peppers 
1 medium onion sliced
*vinegar can be substituted for lemon juice*
**optional: cucumbers, green onions, or cherry tomatoes**


This is spicy and that's the idea behind Finadene, but we very often make a virgin one without the peppers for our kids.  So if you don't like spice then just omit the peppers.  

First slice your onions like so.  Thin or kind of chunky is really a matter of preference.  I like a lot of onions because they soak up the sauce and add a nice crunch.  

Next add the peppers.  We buy our Vietnamese chili peppers at an oriental store nearby and freeze them for storage.  That way they don't go bad as quickly and can just be chopped from frozen.  The traditional peppers to use in this can only be found on Guam so we have adapted and tried to find something similar.  The type of pepper you use really makes a difference.  Some are more oily than others and some are spicier, and some add a strange flavor.  I don't recommend using jalapenos, but if that's all you can find then adapt.

 Remove the tops of the peppers and then chop either with a knife or chopper like I did here.  I like using a chopping device because it keeps my fingers chili oil free and trust me you don't want chili oil in your eyes.  It just stays on your fingers for hours after even multiple washing's and then when you rub your eyes, Ouch.  

Next add the chili's to the onions and pour in your soy sauce and vinegar and give it a good mix.  

I like to let this sit for a bit and let the flavors develop. The onions soak up all of the flavors and add a nice crunch.  You can keep this and save it for later but the longer it sits the more powerful the flavors become.  Hope you enjoy!

~Sunny~

A special thanks to my Mother in Law Linda Duran for passing on all of her delicious recipes for our family to enjoy. 

For the printable recipe card click here.