Fish Sauce Photo Credit: kentnk2009, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you are unfamiliar with fish sauce, think of fish sauce as the SE Asian Worcestershire sauce. There is also a Mediterranean fish sauce called Garum. As an accent flavor in a dish, it adds a depth of umami hard to find elsewhere.
- What does it taste like? Concentrated pulverized fish…all the parts. Fish sauce straight from the bottle or barrel isn’t the most pleasant flavor, in fact, it’s off putting for many. The scent is also quite strong and deliberate.
- What is it? Fish sauce is fermented fish. The fish product (fish, anchovy or krill are common) is salted and then allowed to ferment for one years or more. Like balsamic vinegar, barrel aged fish sauce can be considered a higher quality product. Like olive oil, the first press of the fermented salted fish is considered virgin and higher quality.
- Can I make my own? Yes. There are many youtube videos demonstrating how to make homemade fish sauce.
- How to store it? Once opened, store in the fridge if it will need to last a while. A little goes a VERY long way.
- What dishes would benefit from a drop or splash of fish sauce? Some examples:
-Egg dishes
-Stir fry
-Banh Mi
-Pad Thai
-Raw vegetable salad
Sources beyond my personal knowledge and experience:
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