Cookbook:Fish Sauce

Fish Sauce
Fish Sauce
Category	Condiments

Fish sauce, also called nước mắm (Vietnam), nam pla (Thailand), aekjot (Korea), or patis (Philippines), is a sauce made by fermenting various types of fish and pressing to extract the liquid.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Production

To make fish sauce, small, fresh fish that are less valuable for meat (very often anchovies or other small fish) are first combined with salt in a barrel and weighted down.^[2] As the mixture is left in the sun for up to two years, the salt draws the liquid from the fish, and fermentation turns it into a savory brown liquid.^[2]^[5] The sauce is then strained and allowed to "air out" in the sun before bottling.^[2]^[6]

The first batch of liquid drawn from the barrel is considered "virgin".^[5] Many producers will then add salt and water back to the fermentation chamber and let it sit to produce further batches, with each subsequent batch becoming milder in flavor.^[5] They then blend the batches as desired to achieve the final product.^[5]

Characteristics

Visually, fish sauce is a watery red-brown liquid.^[1]^[2] It is very salty and has a strong aroma and flavour, of both fish and umami in general.^[1] In addition to the fermented liquid, fish sauce may also contain a bit of sugar to mellow out its flavor.^[5] Some manufacturers may also add colorings or flavorings such as MSG or hydrolyzed plant protein. Quantities of salt vary from country to country and from brand to brand. Additionally, some brands of fish sauce are more pungent and primarily for cooking, while others are more delicate and used mostly for salads as a dressing and to finish a dish.

Selection and storage

The first step to selecting fish sauce is to make sure you're looking for the right thing, since a few things can be translated to "fish sauce" in English. You'll want to steer clear of any pastes or thick sauces,^[5] which are not used in the same way as the translucent fish sauce described here. Country of origin is not usually important, but most fish sauces are made in Southeast Asia. Next, you'll want to choose a high quality brand. Generally, quality fish sauce should contain only water, fish or fish "extract", salt, and sugar.^[5] It should also contain relatively high amounts of protein, which indicates that it has been less diluted—the recommendation is to select a brand with at least 2 g protein per tablespoon.^[5]

Because the high salt content prevents spoilage, fish sauce can be kept at room temperature even after opening.^[3]^[5] However, do note that the flavor will degrade over time, and you can extend its shelf life by keeping it cool.^[5] If you don't use fish sauce very often, it's best to buy small quantities and to store it in the fridge.^[5]

Use

Fish sauce is an essential ingredient in many Southeast Asian cuisines,^[1]^[4]^[5]^[6] where it is used for its saltiness and deep umami character,^[5] much like soy sauce is used in more Northeast Asian cuisines.^[6] Traditionally, it is incorporated into curries, marinades, other sauces, and more. However, even outside of Southeast Asian cuisine, fish sauce can be added to a variety of preparations that could use a salty, savory boost.^[4] Try adding it to tomato sauces, stir fries, marinades, and dressings.^[7]

When using fish sauce in a recipe, additional salt is usually unnecessary. When in doubt, taste and adjust the salt after adding the fish sauce.

Substitution

In many cases, fish sauces from different Southeast Asian regions (e.g. Thailand versus Vietnam or Laos) can be readily substituted for each other,^[5] especially if they contain identical ingredients. Beyond that, it is very difficult to substitute other ingredients for fish sauce proper.^[1] Soy sauce can be tried, though it has a different flavor profile and won't work in a dish where fish sauce contributes most of the flavor. Coconut aminos may also be adequate if you need a vegetarian option.^[5]