Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, and Cambodian cuisine and is used in other Southeast Asian countries. In addition to being added to dishes during the cooking process, fish sauce can also be used in mixed form as a dipping condiment, and it is done in many different ways by each country mentioned for fish, shrimp, pork, and chicken. In parts of southern China, it is used as an ingredient for soups and casseroles.

Some fish sauces extracts are made from raw fish, others from dried fish some from only a single species, others from whatever is dredged up in the net, including some shellfish some from whole fish, others from only the blood or viscera. Some fish sauces contain only fish and salt, others add a variety of herbs and spices. Fish sauce that has been only briefly fermented has a pronounced fishy taste, while extended fermentation reduces this and gives the product a nuttier, cheesier flavor.

Southeast Asian fish sauce is often made from anchovies, salt and water, and is often used in moderation because it is intensely flavoured. Anchovies and salt are arranged in wooden boxes to ferment and are slowly pressed, yielding the salty, fishy liquid. The salt extracts the liquid via osmosis. The variety from Vietnam is generally called n c m m well known by brand names including n c m m Ph Qu c Phu Quoc and n c m m Phan Thi t Phan Thiet and similar condiments from Thailand and Burma are called nam pla and ngan bya yay respectively. In Lao Isan it is called nam pa, but a chunkier, more aromatic version known as padaek is also used. In Cambodia, it is known as teuk trei , of which there are a variety of sauces using fish sauce as a base.

The Indonesian semi-solid fish paste trasi, the Cambodian prahok and the Malay fermented krill brick belacan or budu from liquid anchovies are other popular variations of the same theme. The similar Filipino version common to Indochina is called patis. Patis which is a by-product of Bagoong is nearly always cooked prior to consumption even if used as an accent to salads or other raw dishes , or used as a cooking ingredient. It is also used in place of table salt in meals to enhance the flavor of the food but instead of being poured on the food, it is often used as a dipping sauce.

The Philippines has a variety called the patis. The Philippine fish sauce is in liquid form and has almost the same consistency and color as oil. It is primarily used in cooking a variety of chicken porridge called arroz caldo and as a condiment for certain fried fish.