Fish sauce

Fish sauceis a liquidcondimentmade from fish orkrillthat have been coated insaltand fermented for up to two years.It is used as a staple seasoning inEast Asian cuisineandSoutheast Asian cuisine, particularlyMyanmar,Cambodia,Laos,Philippines,Thailand, andVietnam. Somegarum-related fish sauces have been used in the West since theRoman times.
Due to its ability to add a savory flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. The umami flavor in fish sauce is due to itsglutamatecontent.
Fish sauce is used as a seasoning during or after cooking, and as a base indipping sauces.Soy sauceis regarded by some in the West as a vegetarian alternative to fish sauce though they are very different in flavor.
Sauces that included fermented fish parts with other ingredients such as meat and soy bean were recorded inChina, 2300 years ago.During theZhou dynastyof ancient China, fish fermented with soybeans and salt was used as a condiment.By the time of theHan dynasty, soy beans were fermented without the fish intosoy pasteand its by-productsoy sauce,with fermented fish-based sauces developing separately into fish sauce.A fish sauce, calledkôechiapinHokkienChinese, might be the precursor ofketchup.
By 50-100 BC, demand for fish sauces andfish pastesin China had fallen drastically, with fermented bean products becoming a major trade commodity. Fish sauce, however, developed massive popularity in Southeast Asia. Food scholars traditionally divide East Asia into two distinct condiment regions, separated by a bean-fish divide: Southeast Asia, mainly using fermented fish (Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia), and Northeast Asia, using mainly fermented beans (China, Korea, Japan). Fish sauce re-entered China in the 17th and 18th centuries, brought from Vietnam and Cambodia by Chinese traders up the coast of the southern provinces Guangdong and Fujian.
Fish sauces were widely used in ancientMediterranean cuisine. The earliest recorded production was between 4th–3rd century BC by the Ancient Greeks, who fermented scraps of fish calledgarosinto one.It is believed to have been made with a lower salt content than modern fish sauces.
TheRomansmade a similar condiment called eithergarumor liquamen.According toPliny the Elder, "garum consists of the guts of fish and other parts that would otherwise be considered refuse so that garum is really the liquor from putrefaction."Garum was made in the Roman outposts of Spain almost exclusively from mackerel by salting the scrap fish innards, and then sun fermenting the flesh until it fell apart, usually for several months. The brown liquid would then be strained, bottled, and sold as a condiment. Remains of Roman fish salting facilities can still be seen, including inAlgecirasin Spain and nearSetúbalin Portugal. The process lasted until the 16th century when garum makers switched to anchovy and removed the innards.
Garum was ubiquitous in Classical Roman cooking. Mixed with wine it was known asoenogarum, or with vinegar,oxygarum, or mixed with honey,meligarum.Garumwas one of the trade specialties inHispania Baetica.Garumwas frequently maligned as smelling bad or rotten, being called, for example, "evil-smelling fish sauce"and is said to be similar to moderncolatura di alici, a fish sauce used inNeapolitan cuisine.
InEnglishgarumwas formerly translated asfish pickle. The originalWorcestershire sauceis a related product because it is fermented and contains anchovies.
While fish sauce andoyster sauceare both briny and may have related histories, they are different products. Fish sauce is watery, clear, and salty, whereas oyster sauce is made by reducing oyster extracts and therefore sweeter with a hint of salt and not as strong an aroma as fish sauce.
Fish sauces historically have been prepared from different species of fish and shellfish, and from using the whole fish, or by using just fishbloodorviscera. Most modern fish sauces contain only fish andsalt, usually made from anchovy, shrimp, mackerel, or other strong-flavored, high oil fish. Some variants addherbsandspices. For modern fish sauces, fish or shellfish are mixed with salt at a concentration of 10% to 30%. It is then sealed in a closed container for up to two years.
Once the original draft has been made, some fish sauces will be produced through a re-extraction of the fish mass via boiling. To improve the visual appearance and add taste, second-pass fish sauces often have added caramel, molasses, or roasted rice.They are thinner, and less costly. Some volume manufacturers of fish sauce will also water down a first-press to manufacture more products.
Fish sauce that has been only briefly fermented has a pronounced fishy taste. Extended fermentation reduces this and gives the product anuttier, richer and more savory flavor.An anonymous article, "Neuc-num", inDiderotandd'Alembert's 18th-centuryEncyclopédie, states: "It is said that Europeans become accustomed enough to this type of sauce".
Southeast Asian fish sauce is often made fromanchovies, salt, and water, and is intensely flavoured. Anchovies and salt are arranged in wooden barrels to ferment and are slowly pressed, yielding the salty, fishy liquid. The salt extracts the liquid viaosmosis.
Southeast Asians generally use fish sauce as a cooking sauce. However, there is a sweet and sour version of this sauce which is used more commonly as a dipping sauce.
Fish sauce inMyanmaris calledngan bya yay(ငါးငံပြာရည်). It's often a by-product ofHmyin ngapi(မျှင်ငပိ)(Burmese Fish Paste made from small fish)
InCambodia, fish sauce is calledtik trei(Khmer:ទឹកត្រី,tœ̆k trei). Just likeprahok, it is believed to date back to thepre-Angkorean era. Industrially fish sauce is produced by mixingtrei aing keuyoranchovieswithcoarse saltand fermenting it in large woodenvats. Over the period of six to eight months, it is distilled five times, before being transferred into jars and sun-fermented for the final 2–3 months. The most famous fish sauce is produced in theKampot Province. Food Production Company of Kampot produces a speciality fish sauce containingroe.Fish sauce is mixed with sugar,lime juice,chili peppersand crushedroasted peanutsto create sweet fish sauce, which is the most popular dipping sauce in Cambodia.
InLao/Isan, it is callednam pa(Lao:ນ້ໍາປາ). A chunkier, more aromatic version known aspadaekis also used.
ThePhilippinefish sauce is known aspatis. It is one of the most important ingredients in Filipino cuisine.Patisis a by-product ofbagoongproduction, which includebagoong isda(fermented fish) andbagoong alamang(fermentedkrill), as well as the rarerbagoong macabebe(fermentedoysters) andbagoong sisi(fermentedclams). The fish used are typically small likesardines,anchovies,ambassids, and thefryof larger fish. Unlike other fish sauce variants, the fermented solids are not discarded but are sold as separate products. Thepatisis skimmed from the upper layers of fermentingbagoongand is not pressed. As such,patisusually takes longer to produce than other types of fish sauce as it is reliant on the readiness ofbagoong.
Patisis nearly always cooked prior to consumption, even when used as an accent tosaladsor other raw dishes.Patisis also used as an ingredient in cooked dishes, including a rice porridge calledarroz caldo, as a condiment for fried fish or an umami accent in a common dish,sinigang.Patisis also used in place of table salt in meals to enhance the flavor of the food, where it can either be dashed from a dispensing bottle onto the food, or poured into a saucer and mixed withcalamansiandlabuyo chilisand used as a dipping sauce.
Fish sauce inThailandis callednam pla(Thai:น้ำปลา). InIsan, it is callednam pa. Similar to the Laotianpadaekispla ra(Thai:ปลาร้า), also used inThai cuisine. In Thailand, fish sauce is used both in cooking and also served at the table as a condiment, for instance in noodle soups. Nearly every Thai meal is served withphrik nam plaas a condiment: a mixture of fish sauce, lime juice, and choppedbird's eye chilies. Sliced garlic is often added to this sauce.
Historically, there were two types of fish sauce made in Thailand: that made with a fresh-water fish,pla soi, and sauce made from a salt-water fish,pla kratak. Either fish is fermented for at least eight months, three parts fish to two parts salt. The resulting mash is filtered. This yields the best fish sauce called the "base". The dregs are then mixed with water and salt and again fermented for three to four months. This yields a second-grade fish sauce, mostly used in cooking.
In 2014, theUS Food and Drug Administration(FDA) banned the import of Thai fish sauces due to a lack of information about tests forbotulinum toxin. The toxin can cause death if more than 0.5microgramsare consumed. The Thai Office of Food Safety and Quality then tested 48 brands of fish sauce to determine the content of botulinum toxin in the products. Of 48 brands tested, 28 were genuine fish sauces from 18 production sites in 12 provinces. Twenty samples from production sites in eight provinces were adulterated fish sauce. Tests showed that none were contaminated with botulinum toxin types A, B, E, and F and were free ofClostridium botulinumbacteria.In 2018, rumours again surfaced concerning banned Thai fish sauce.
The variety fromVietnamis callednước mắm.There are two areas in Vietnam that are most famous for producing fish sauce:Phú QuốcandPhan Thiết.
Fish sauce has a 300-year history dating back to theChampakingdom of theCham people.Phan Thiếtcan be identified with the birthplace of Vietnamese fish sauce. Before 1693, Phan Thiết was a territory ofChampa. The Vietnamese occupied the area in 1693 and commercialized the fish sauce by keeping it in barrels and selling throughout the country. This business was popularized by Trần Gia Hòa who was born in 1872. There is a fish sauce museum in Phan Thiết. Popular brands in the US include Mega Chef, Red Boat, 3 Crabs, Golden Boy, and Hòn Phan Thiết.
Vietnamese fish sauces are made with anchovies, mackerel, scabbard fish, and salt. High mercury concentration can be found in larger fish, especially in predator fish like scabbard fish. They do not have any additives like sugar,hydrolyzed protein, or preservatives.Vietnamese prefer sauces without a strong smell, and transparent with a deep golden amber color. "First press" fish sauce, meaning the sauce is bottled from the first time the fermenting barrels are drained, also indicates quality. Lastly, when measuring thenitrogenlevel of fish sauces (°N, or grams of nitrogen per liter), most fish sauce on the market falls within the mid 20°N range. Anything over 30°N is considered high-grade, and 40°N is optimal.
Nước chấmis a Vietnamese prepared fish-based condiment (also referred to as a "sauce") that is savory, lightly sweet and salty tasting, and can be sour and spicy iflimeandchili peppersare added. The main components are fish sauce, water, and sugar.
Mắmis made much like fish sauce, except that it is not fermented as long, and the fish is kept along with its liquid extract, not just the extract.Mắmcan be used as a base condiment in dipping sauces with additional ingredients, used in soups, stir-fries and meat loaves, or eaten with rice as a main dish.
In January 2016, theInstitute of Food Technologistspublished a study asserting that using Vietnamese fish sauce as asubstitute for sodium chloride(salt) in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and coconut curry reduced the amount of sodium chloride by 10 to 25 percent while still maintaining the perceived deliciousness, saltiness, and overall flavor intensity.This idea is similar to the use ofumamiflavor enhancerssuch as MSG to increase flavor intensity and reduce sodium requirement.
According to theGeneral Statistics Office, in 2020, the output of fish sauce reached nearly 380 million liters.According to the Vietnam Fish Sauce Association, the output of fish sauce in 2023 is expected to reach about 420 million liters.The reason for this growth is due to the increasing domestic demand and the strong development of the fish sauce export industry.Vietnamese fish sauce is currently exported to more than 60 countries and territories around the world.According to statistics,Vietnamcurrently has 783 fish sauce production facilities with 1,500 participating farming households,producing about 250 million liters of fish sauce per year. Of which, 35 facilities produce fish sauce for export to 20 markets.
In China, fish sauce is calledyúlù(simplified Chinese:鱼露;traditional Chinese:魚露;pinyin:yúlù, literally "fish dew") and is native to the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. In Chaoshan cuisine, fish sauce is made with Reeve's shad (Tenualosa reevesii), which is unsuitable for direct eating due to being fatty, bony, and odorous.
In Japan, fish sauce is calledgyoshō(魚醤); another name isuoshōyu(魚醤油). There are several variations used in regional cuisines.Ishiruin theNoto Peninsulais made fromsardineandsquid.Shottsuru, the best-known type of Japanese fish sauce and often used as a synonym for allgyoshō, is fromAkita Prefectureand is mainly made fromsailfin sandfish.Ikanago shoyuofKagawa Prefectureis made fromsand lance. They are used innabemono, in salad dressings, and as a flavoring ingredient inramensoups. Imported Thai / Vietnamese fish sauce in Japan is referred to asnanpurā(ナンプラー), from the Thai word for fish saucenam pla.
In Korea, fish sauce is calledeojang(어장).
Across theKorean Peninsula,aekjeot(액젓, literally "liquidjeotgal"), a type of fish sauce usually made from fermentedanchoviesorkkanari(pacific sand lances), is used as a crucial ingredient in many types ofkimchi, both for taste and fermentation.
InJeju island,eoganjang(어간장), made of fermentedgodori(youngchub mackerel) orhorse mackerel, is used in place ofsoy sauce.
Colatura di aliciis an Italian fish sauce originating in the village ofCetara, Campania.
Worcestershire saucecontains fermented anchovies among other ingredients, which is common in theAnglospherecountries.
Common commercial brands of fish sauce generally contain about 50% to 60% of the FDA's daily recommended amount of sodium per tablespoon serving. Most commercial brands of reasonable quality contain one or two grams of protein per serving; however, higher-quality brands may have four grams of protein or more, while lower-quality brands may have less than one gram of protein per serving. Fish sauce has an insignificant amount of carbohydrates and fats.Vitamin B12,vitamin B-6, andmagnesiumare present in small amounts.