Hello hello,
This week is all about fish sauce and I am determined to finish writing this on time (before the weekend begins!).
I am sure that most of you have a bottle of fish sauce in your cupboards, I am sure that many of you love fish sauce and use it confidently and abundantly but I also have a feeling that some of you don’t feel as confident and I am 100% sure that a few are turned off by the smell.
I must admit that despite having a bottle of fish sauce and a bottle of anchovy garum (a European cousin of fish sauce) in my own cupboard, I don’t use them often enough. So this is a great opportunity to learn. I am not really a fish person (I am that person who doesn’t want their fish to be too fishy, sorry) so learning about the fermentation process of fish sauce has been just a tiny bit nausea-inducing for me.
About the ingredient
What is fish sauce? Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish (most often anchovies) or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years.
What does it taste like? A lot of people tend to think that fish sauce tastes fishy, that’s not true. It sure as hell smells fishy. But when it comes to flavour profile it brings a deep, savoury, umami punch to your dishes. It’s often used as a substitute for salt (but with an extra umami kick). Almost like salt and MSG had a baby.
Can it be substituted? Sorry to be that guy again, but I say no. Fish sauce lends unique flavour addition. And yes, oyster sauce may be a somewhat decent substitution (bar the consistency is very different). The internet suggests some wild replacements, like Worcestershire (okay, I just learned that it also contains anchovies, and as far as British condiments go, it’s quite exciting!), seaweed (hmm, again, not quite, seaweed tastes like the ocean), mushroom and soy sauce broth (maybe, but it’ll take some time to make that broth), coconut aminos (I had to google this!!!) and soy sauce (I love soy sauce, but no, it’s not the same). So just get yourself a bottle of fish sauce.
History of the ingredient
Most of us provably associate fish sauce with Thai cooking and it is very popular in other Southeast Asian cuisines. But doing this research I was surprised to learn that Europe also loved their own variety of fermented fish liquid - garum, the popularity and reach of it has dialled back a lot in the last few centuries thought.
It is still undecided whether fish sauce travelled to Southeast easy via Silk Road from Roman Empire or whether Asian countries invented this elixir independently. My money is on the independent invention. Just like different cultures have their version of dumplings - varying in shape, size and filling, it’s perfectly reasonable to believe that countries with hot climates sought a way to preserve fresh fish. The easiest and most accessible way is by using plenty of salt.
Historians argue that the oldest record of fish sauce production came from the coastline of the Black Sea in ancient Greek and Roman times. In Europe, garum was mostly produced in factories in Pompeii. Some varieties included the addition of spices and aromatic herbs (fennel and mint). During those times, garum was added to wine (eh?) and olive oil and vinegar. According to Silpa Watthanatham Magazine, fish sauce production dates back over a thousand years ago in the Southern China region. Subsequently, the art of fish sauce making spread through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries, each adopting their own local names for this traditional condiment.
“The ‘fermented’ fish sauces of south China and Southeast Asia are all one complex, but the Roman garum is probably an independent invention, though we can’t be sure. It’s the same thing, basically, but there seem to be no intermediate forms that would imply a link.” Eugene Anderson, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of California
Nowadays, you can find a variation of fermented funky fish sauces and broths in Europe and the Middle East. French pissalat is an anchovy puree flavoured with cloves, thyme, bay leaf and black pepper or Egyptian fesikh - fermented, salted and dried grey mullet. Iceland is known for its love for fermented shark meat - Hákarl, usually brought out during winter festivities, but you can buy it all year round in the supermarkets.
Garum was believed to have medicinal properties, so Romans used it as a disinfectant, a cleanser for eyes and ears, to treat burns and dog bites and to fight cholesterol (now, I am not a doctor, but what about those sodium levels?)
I loved going through the list of all the different fish sauce types, I am condensing this a little bit, in case anyone wants to geek out.
Bagoóng - native to Phillippines, it’s made out of partially or completely fermented fish and/or shrimp and salt. Patis is a by-product of this fermentation process, which is another type of fish sauce. There’s also Bagoóng monamon and Bagoóng terong, both involve fermentation, one uses anchovies and terong uses bonnetmouth fish.
Budu Sauce - a popular funky seafood product in Kelantan, Malaysia and Southern Thailand. This is made by mixing anchovies in salt, anchovies being in a higher higher proportion to salt, and then left to ferment for anything between 140 to 200 days. Also popular in Malaysia is Cincalok, which is turned into a condiment by being mixed with chillis, shallots and lime juice.
Dayok is a fish sauce from the Philippine islands of Visayas and Mindanao, and it uses fermented yellowfin tuna.
Mahyawa - a tangy funky sauce that originated in Iran, and then travelled to Arab states of the Persian Gulf through migration. This sauce includes salted anchovies, as well as fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and mustard seeds.
Nam Pla- Thailand native and made using trusty anchovies
Padaek - popular Lao condiment, made from pickled or fermented fish that’s been cured. It’s thicker in consistency and often has chunks of fish in it. It’s also popular in N.E. Thailand
Phu quoc fish sauce - this is produced on Phu Quoc island in S.W. Vietnam. The name’s been trademarked in 2001 and only registered manufacturers are allowed to use this name.
Pla Ra - made by mixing a variety of fish, but predominantly shakehead murrel (getting some serious fish education here!), this is mixed with salt and rice bran. This is native to N.E Thailand
Shottsuru - a very pungent fish sauce from northern Japan, made using sailfin sandfish.
Worcestershire Sauce - made in the U.K. since 1837, using anchovies, tamarind, vinegar, molasses, salt and sugar.
QUICK SUGGESTIONS FOR USE:
Thanks to everyone who contributed to my crowdsourcing on Instagram earlier this week. I was really delighted to receive so many suggestions and ideas.
Savoury
If you love fried chicken ( you know I do), try brining your chicken in fish sauce before frying
Caramel Pork is something that I hear Madévi talk often about, and it’s about time I make it
Try mixing some fish sauce with a squeeze of calamansi or lemon for a tangy dipping sauce
Put it to good use in Thai Cashew Chicken
I already mentioned it being a great replacement for salt, my friend Xinyue likes to add it to her soups and stir-fries
Larb, larb, larb, you gotta try some Larb
Nuoc Cham to go with SO many things - rice, spring rolls, rice rolls, salads, noodles. It’s a perfect accompaniment for summer dining
One of the suggestions from Sohini was pickling, so here’s a recipe for fish sauce pickled radishes (other veg allowed)
Mushroom Salad with Bitter Herbs from Kiln restaurant
An unexpected yoghurt dip (scroll all the way down)
Sort of tempted by this slow-cooker Pho
Any mash lovers? Replace the salt with a drop of fish sauce
Whole Baked Pompano fish (but you can replace it with what’s available to you)
Oomph up your broths and stocks with a dash of fish sauce
Make simple marinades by adding soy sauce, garlic, ginger and something zesty and marinade your meats, seafood and tofu
If you love chilli oil, why not try making a batch using this recipe
Sweet
Yes, desserts, honestly.
I am not even surprised that Fish Sauce Caramel is a thing
And then make some Ice Cream with it
And of course, there’s Thai-style popcorn
Drinks
Genuinely didn’t expect to find any drink recipes but it’s quite a hitter in cocktails and it totally makes sense.
For the happy hour - Fish Sauce and Pickle Juice Cocktail
Or a Martini with a twist (spoiler alert: it’s fish sauce)
And a Bloody Mary for the morning after
Even more recipes to get creative with:
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
If you have a year or so to kill and can deal with the smell, then watch this video.
However, if you’re veggie or vegan and want to get the closest substitute for fish sauce, I found this recipe.
WHERE TO BUY
Anywhere, all major supermarkets stock at least a few varieties of fish sauces. But having done my research now, I will be heading to my favourite supermarket in Chinatown to look for alternatives to my usual. And as always, special mention to Sous Chef, stocking a variety of fish sauces for every occasion.
Something to watch: Good Omens S2 just came out on Amazon. And as much as I love having Friday night plans with friends, I would happily stay on my sofa to binge at least half a season in one go. The Tennant-Sheen chemistry is delicious
Cookbooks to explore: this week, it has to be Thai, right? Get yourself a copy of Kin Thai to explore the lesser-known recipes and nail the classics. Chapters are structured by type of dish, from snacks and relishes to curries, stir-fries and salads.
Something to listen to: just added Stirring it Up with Andi & Miquita Oliver to my podcasts - food, relationships, and some great guests so far.
I want to see you all use your fish sauce! If you are finding my newsletter useful, please share it with your friends and loved ones.
Anya xx
Coming up next week: Zesty mouth-numbing Pangrattato for Appetite Extra and Sichuan Pepper deep-dive