Fish sauce - a very special Asian seasoning sauce
In which cuisines is fish sauce used?
Fish sauce is a commonly used ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisines, especially in Thai cuisine (called Nam Pla there), Vietnamese cuisine (known as Nuoc Mam), and Filipino cuisine (Patis).
But fish sauce, known as Colatura di Alici, is also used in Italian cuisine.
But what exactly is fish sauce?
A sauce for fish dishes? Or rather a kind of seasoning? The answers to these questions show its possible uses.
In fact, fish sauce is not a sauce that you can simply add to fish. It is far too intense and too salty for that. It is an Asian seasoning sauce, a kind of liquid spice that combines salt and umami. So when you add fish sauce to dishes, it gives them a special depth of flavor.
The taste is explained by their production. The best fish sauces are made by curing sardines or anchovies in sea salt using traditional methods and fermenting them for several months. During the fermentation process, proteins break down into amino acids, creating the typical umami flavor.
This seasoning is not limited to fish dishes; it is equally well complemented in Asian cuisine with meat and vegetables. It pairs especially well with dark meat and hearty vegetables.
What distinguishes fish sauce from soy sauce?
Although both products are used as a kind of salt substitute in their respective cuisines, they are not interchangeable due to their different flavors. It is important to use the product specified in the recipe to achieve the desired flavor profile. Furthermore, it should be noted that fish sauce is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, while certain types of soy sauce, such as Tamari, can be a suitable alternative.
And how exactly can fish sauces be used?
Here are some recipe ideas.
Fish sauce can be used instead of salt. It enhances the savory flavors of meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Simply add a few drops to the dishes.
In Italian cuisine, Colatura di Alici is also added to pasta. One of the best-known dishes that uses Colatura di Alici is Aglio e Olio. Before serving, a few splashes of Colatura di Alici are drizzled over the pasta.
The marinade:
With a dash of fish sauce,
Soups and stews:
Refine soups and stews like Vietnamese Pho soup, Thai Tom Yum soup, or Filipino Sinigang with fish sauce.
Wok dishes and sauces:
Fish sauce is a component in Thai wok dishes or dips that, among other things, defines the special character of these dishes or sauces.
Salad dressings:
You get a particularly exciting salad dressing when you combine fish sauce with lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, and a pinch of sugar. This balanced flavor combination gives your salads a unique complexity and depth.
In Italian cuisine, Colatura di Alici can also be used, for example, in a dressing for Caesar Salad. For this, only a few drops are added to the dressing.
Dips:
Dips for spring rolls, dumplings, or grilled meat also benefit from a splash of fish sauce.
Curries and sauces:
Refine curries, roast sauces, and other sauces with the umami flavor of fish sauce. Its savory profile also harmonizes with traditional curry ingredients and coconut milk, creating a very complex and thus very delicious combination of savory, spicy, and sweet notes.
Pasta dishes:
Refine noodle dishes like Pad Thai or Vietnamese rolls with the umami notes of fish sauce.
Fried rice and Nasi Goreng:
A splash of fish sauce on fried rice or Indonesian Nasi Goreng gives them their characteristic flavor.
Fish sauce has an intense flavor, so it is advisable to start with a very small amount and then possibly add more. For dishes to which salt is added, it is recommended to reduce the amount specified in the recipe, as salt is also added with the fish sauce.
-> Buy Megachef fish sauce from Thailand
-> Buy Squid Fish Sauce from Thailand
-> Buy Blue Elephant fish sauce from Thailand
-> Buy Colatura di Alici from Italy
-> Overview of all fish sauces available for purchase from us
