Asian Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a pungent, salty liquid made from salted, fermented fish. Tasting it straight or even smelling it is too intense an experience for most people, but a small quantity adds immeasurably to the flavor of many dishes. It is a key ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking and popular throughout Asia. Like chili-garlic sauce, each Asian cuisine has its own version and they vary in intensity. Look for those that are golden in color and relatively clear; they tend to be a little less salty and fishy. If you’re concerned about a particular sauce’s strength, add half of what the recipe calls for—you can always add more to taste. Fish sauce is increasingly available in supermarkets and always in Asian markets. The name may differ according to country of origin (nam pla in Thailand, nuoc mam in Vietnam, patis in the Philippines, shottsuru in Japan), but they are interchangeable. Fish sauce is also referred to as fish gravy.