What is fish sauce?

You have probably already noticed that when you want to make an Asian recipe, there is always a multitude of sauces you need to have on hand, and this fish sauce is one of them.

This sauce contains only 3 ingredients: anchovies, salt, and sugar. The production method is traditional — the anchovies ferment in jars with salt and sugar.

The importance of Squid fish sauce

It is a sauce packed with umami; in Asia, salt is used very sparingly — instead, fermented sauces are preferred in preparations, like fish sauce here, which not only adds a salty note but also brings depth of flavor.

In which dishes will you need fish sauce?

Fermented fish sauce is essential for a large number of Asian recipes: 

- Korean kimchi Jjigae, fish sauce is necessary for the fermentation process of this iconic and particularly healthy side dish

- The banchan, those small side dishes from Korean cuisine (spinach, bean sprouts, radish, cucumber, etc.)

- nước chấm Vietnamese sauce that accompanies grilled meats

- Pad Thai, fish sauce is part of the traditional seasoning of this iconic dish from Thai cuisine

- Som Tam (green papaya salad) originally from Thailand

- Phở the delicious Vietnamese broth served with noodles