Born in Chalung · crafted in Chicago
A-Ma’s Everything Sauce by bok bok
Our addictive sweet chili sauce comes straight from southern Thailand, where our mom A-ma served it as a dipping sauce for deep fried tofu and chicken. Today we use the same six ingredients, with A-Ma taste-testing every micro-batch.
-
A-Ma’s Everything Sauce — 4‑pack of 12 oz Bottles
Stock the fridge the way A-Ma would have: two for you, two for someone you love. Priced at $13.50 per bottle plus $6 flat shipping (added at checkout).
$54.00
The sauce
Simple ingredients, generational flavor
At Bok Bok, the Thai sweet chili dipping sauce (aka, “nam jim gai”) is never an afterthought. A-Ma created our Everything Sauce by taste: fresh peppers and garlic pounded in a stone mortar, then adding vinegar, sugar, and salt and simmering it all down.
Small batch, always
Cooked 120 bottles at a time, so every batch tastes like the attention it’s given.
Good on everything
From fried snacks to grilled meats to eggs to fresh veggies to Bloody Marys. Use your imagination!
Six simple ingredients
Mini sweet peppers, distilled vinegar, cane sugar, garlic, Thai chilis, and Kosher salt. All stuff you can pronounce, everything fresh, nothing hidden.
Four flavors, balanced
Sweet, sour, spicy, salty — the classic Thai flavor balancing act, captured to perfection in a Bok Bok bottle.
The four flavors
“NAM JIM GAI” Explained
Through constant stirring, tasting and adjusting, we found the perfect balance for this Thai staple.
หวาน
(wan)
Sweet
Sweet up front, the way “nam jim gai” should be.
เปรี้ยว
(priao)
Sour
Distilled vinegar cuts sweet so you keep dipping.
เผ็ด
(phet)
Spicy
Thai chilies bring warmth that builds. Loads of garlic adds a bite.
เค็ม
(khem)
Salty
A pinch of salt brings everything together.
Our story
It started in a Southern Thai village
Off the single dirt road in the village of Chalung in the 1950s, A-Ma set up before sunrise: a charcoal burner, a granite mortar, and a huge wok of sauce simmering to a vibrant orangey-red. She filled tiny plastic bags with sauce and knotted them by hand to sell alongside freshly fried tofu — but never wrote the recipe down until now.
A generation and an ocean later, the family fridge is still always stocked with the sauce. Her son brought the first Bok Bok bottles to Chicago farmers markets and to neighborhood fine food stores, drawing a following.
Q&A
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s in a-ma’s everything Sauce?
Just six high quality ingredients: mini sweet peppers, distilled vinegar, cane sugar, garlic, Thai chili peppers and salt. It’s gluten-free and vegan. Never any preservatives, dyes or thickeners and other stuff we can’t translate in Thai.
How do I use it?
As a dip for “gai tod” (fried chicken), tofu, spring rolls and dumplings. Then keep going — brush it on wings or salmon at the end of cooking, whisk it with lime and fish sauce for a “som tam”-style dressing, or spoon it over a fried egg and jasmine rice. Mix it with mayo for a kicky aioli for fries, or put a dash on your bloody Mary. Here at Bok Bok, we call it an “everything sauce” for a reason!
How spicy is it?
A-Ma’s Everything Sauce is mild to medium: noticeable warmth, kid-friendly for most tables. It’s purposefully mild in heat so it can be used on everything, everywhere without overpowering a dish.
How should I store it?
It has a pH level of 4.0. Keep unopened jars in a cool, dark pantry or even the fridge. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 18 months. A little separation is normal — give it a shake.
How does shipping work?
Orders ship from Chicago within 2 business days via USPS Ground Advantage or UPS, and typically arrive in 3–5 business days. Flat $6.00 shipping in the continental U.S.
What is your return and refund policy?
If a bottle arrives broken or you’re unhappy with your order, email bokbokchicago@gmail.com within 14 days of delivery and we’ll replace it or refund you in full. Because this is a food product, we cannot accept returns of bottles.
Do you sell wholesale?
Yes. We supply independent grocers and specialty food shops in Chicago, St. Louis, and Wisconsin. Email bokbokchicago@gmail.com for our wholesale sheet and case pricing.