What is that salty, pungent brown liquid you may see in various kitchens and eateries in Southeast Asia?  You may have seen it being used as an ingredient in cooking or as a condiment to a dish.  Is it soy sauce?  No, close though.  It is nothing but good old fish sauce!

Fish sauce is a staple ingredient found in many countries in Southeast Asia.  Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Burmese and Cambodian meals all have some hint of fish sauce in their food (either as an ingredient or condiment).  So, how is it made?  Genuine fish sauce is the water or juice in the flesh of fish that is extracted in the process of prolonged salting and fermentation.  Most of these fish are either anchovies (they are bountiful in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea) or even smaller species that would otherwise have little consumption value.  For fish sauce to develop that distinctive fragrant scent and taste, the fish must be very fresh.  In fact, the process starts when the fish is taken off the boat.  The fish are rinsed and drained and then mixed with sea salt.  After that, the fish are kept in earthenware jars, sandwiched in between two layers of salt (one layer at the bottom and one layer at the top of the jar), covered with a piece of cloth and left exposed the Southeast Asian sun.  The jar will then be positioned to keep the fish inside from floating.  By doing this, the water inside are extracted out by the salt and fermentation process.  The jars will be left alone for the next nine months.  Occasionally, the jars will be uncovered so the sun can actually ‘melt’ the fish inside.  This separates top fish sauce from mediocre ones and gives the sauce its distinctive red-brown color.  After the long nine months, the liquid then goes through an extensive and thorough filtering process.  Finally, the sauce is bottled and ready for the masses.

So, now that you know how fish sauce is made, why not figure out what it is being called in Southeast Asia, so you can enjoy it?  In Vietnam, it is called nuoc mam.  The Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc is famous for its fish sauce production.  In Thailand, it is called nam plaa and in Laos it is similarly called nam pa.  In Myanmar, fish sauce is called ngan byar yay and in Cambodia as teuk trei.  After tying out fish sauce, you can now taste the impact this brown liquid adds to your dishes.  It will be a fine addition to your kitchen sauces and condiments you may already have at home.  Try replacing salt with fish sauce on some of your favorite dishes.

Of course, there is more to Southeast Asia than fish sauce.  The region is home to some of the best beaches in the world, as well as magnificent structures, wonderful people and terrific natural landscapes.  You can see EXO Travel’s suggested multi-country tours or our Cambodia Culture & Cuisine tour or our Culinary Delights of Vietnam tour for unforgettable travel and culinary experiences in Southeast Asia.