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Name: Fish Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: Information; Stephen Ceideburg

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INGREDIENTS

Information
Stephen Ceideburg

INSTRUCTIONS

FISH SAUCE 1 The profusion of fish sauce can be a bit confusing. In general, the lighter colored ones seem to be better--more subtly flavored and less salty. I just found an excellent one the other day (at Safeway of all places) called "Shrimp Sauce". Theres a picture of a shrimp on the label. The label is a bit confusing. The Vietnamese and English on the label call it fish sauce (nuoc mam) but the ingredients are listed as water, shrimp and salt. Unfortunately I cant read the Thai or Chinese on the label, but it has the symbol of "First Grade Quality" from the Thai Indus- trial Standard Institute. At any rate, its good stuff. Heres a little discourse on fish sauce from "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam" by Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman. "Fish sauce is to Vietnamese cooking whet salt is to Western and soy sauce to Chinese cooking. It is included in practically all recipes. Prepared from fresh anchovies and salt, layered in huge wooden barrels, the manufacture of fish sauce is a major industry. The factories are located along the coast to assure the freshness of the fish to be processed. Fermentation is started once a year, during the fishing season. After about 3 months in the barrel, liquid drips from an open spigot, to be poured back into the top of the barrel. After about 6 months the fish sauce is produced. The first draining is the very best fish sauce, lighter in color and perfectly clear. It is relatively expensive and is reserved for table use. The second and third drainings yield a fish sauce of lower quality and lower cost fro general-purpose cooking. The two towns most noted for their fish sauce are Phi Quoc and Phan Thiet. Phu Quoc produces the best fish sauce, some of which is exported. On the label, the work "nhi" signifies the highest quality. When fish sauce manufactured in Vietnam is not available, that of Thailand or Hong Kong is quite acceptable. Philippine or Chinese fish sauce will not be satisfactory. For table use and available in all Oriental groceries is Squid Brand Fish Sauce, the best one on the market. Whatever the brand, look for "Ca Com" on the label, which means that only anchovies were used--an indication of the highest quality for table use." In the following post, another author presents more info, some a bit contradictory to the above. FISH SAUCE 2 This is from "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Routhier. "...It enhances and blends so subtly with other flavors that one can barely detect its presence." "Like olive oil and good wine, there are different grades of fish sauce. The very best fish sauce is obtained from the first drainage. The resulting liquid is amber in color, very dark and usually expensive. If you see the words "nhi" or "thuong hang" on a label, it means that the fish sauce of of the highest quality. This type of fish sauce is usually reserved for table use. Sec- ond-grade nuoc mam, cheaper and intended for all-purpose cooking, is made by adding water and pressing the fish after the first- quality sauce has been extracted. The resulting liquid is light and very clear." "Fish sauce (nuoc mam): Nuoc mam is like Thai "nam pla" but stronger..."Squid" and "Ruang Tong" brands are widely available, bottled, in Oriental markets and some supermarkets..." So there it is. Ya pays yer money and yer takes yer chances... I doubt if youll find any Vietnamese fish sauce, considering the embargo, but the Thai nuoc mam is supposed to be as good. In fact, Ill go out on a limb and say that, considering the fact that Thailand is just around the corner from Vietnam and has a lot of Vietnamese living there, that the differences would be undetectable. Id get a bottle of light stuff and a bottle of the darker stuff (Tiparos brand comes to mind) and play around with them. At one time I had five different brands on the shelf. The stuffs pretty cheap and none of it was what Id consider inferior. Now you know as

NOTES

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Fish Sauce

Information
 Stephen Ceideburg

FISH SAUCE 1 The profusion of fish sauce can be a bit  confusing. In general, the lighter colored ones seem  to be better--more subtly flavored and less salty. I  just found an excellent one the other day (at Safeway  of all places) called "Shrimp Sauce". Theres a  picture of a shrimp on the label. The label is a bit  confusing. The Vietnamese and English on the label  call it fish sauce (nuoc mam) but the ingredients are  listed as water, shrimp and salt. Unfortunately I  cant read the Thai or Chinese on the label, but it  has the symbol of "First Grade Quality" from the Thai  Indus- trial Standard Institute. At any rate, its  good stuff. Heres a little discourse on fish sauce  from "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam" by Bach Ngo and  Gloria Zimmerman.    "Fish sauce is to Vietnamese cooking whet salt is to  Western and soy sauce to Chinese cooking. It is  included in practically all recipes. Prepared from  fresh anchovies and salt, layered in huge wooden  barrels, the manufacture of fish sauce is a major  industry. The factories are located along the coast to  assure the freshness of the fish to be processed.  Fermentation is started once a year, during the  fishing season. After about 3 months in the barrel,  liquid drips from an open spigot, to be poured back  into the top of the barrel. After about 6 months the  fish sauce is produced.    The first draining is the very best fish sauce,  lighter in color and perfectly clear. It is relatively  expensive and is reserved for table use. The second  and third drainings yield a fish sauce of lower  quality and lower cost fro general-purpose cooking.  The two towns most noted for their fish sauce are Phi  Quoc and Phan Thiet. Phu Quoc produces the best fish  sauce, some of which is exported. On the label, the  work "nhi" signifies the highest quality. When fish  sauce manufactured in Vietnam is not available, that  of Thailand or Hong Kong is quite acceptable.  Philippine or Chinese fish sauce will not be  satisfactory. For table use and available in all  Oriental groceries is Squid Brand Fish Sauce, the best  one on the market. Whatever the brand, look for "Ca  Com" on the label, which means that only anchovies  were used--an indication of the highest quality for  table use."    In the following post, another author presents more  info, some a bit contradictory to the above.    FISH SAUCE 2    This is from "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Routhier.    "...It enhances and blends so subtly with other  flavors that one can barely detect its presence."    "Like olive oil and good wine, there are different  grades of fish sauce. The very best fish sauce is  obtained from the first drainage. The resulting liquid  is amber in color, very dark and usually expensive. If  you see the words "nhi" or "thuong hang" on a label,  it means that the fish sauce of of the highest  quality. This type of fish sauce is usually reserved  for table use. Sec- ond-grade nuoc mam, cheaper and  intended for all-purpose cooking, is made by adding  water and pressing the fish after the first- quality  sauce has been extracted. The resulting liquid is  light and very clear."    "Fish sauce (nuoc mam): Nuoc mam is like Thai "nam  pla" but stronger..."Squid" and "Ruang Tong" brands  are widely available, bottled, in Oriental markets and  some supermarkets..."    So there it is. Ya pays yer money and yer takes yer  chances... I doubt if youll find any Vietnamese fish  sauce, considering the embargo, but the Thai nuoc mam  is supposed to be as good. In fact, Ill go out on a  limb and say that, considering the fact that Thailand  is just around the corner from Vietnam and has a lot  of Vietnamese living there, that the differences would  be undetectable. Id get a bottle of light stuff and a  bottle of the darker stuff (Tiparos brand comes to  mind) and play around with them. At one time I had  five different brands on the shelf. The stuffs pretty  cheap and none of it was what Id consider inferior.    Now you know as

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Nutrition

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Serving Size: 1 Serving (0g)
Recipe Makes: 6 Servings

Calories: 0
Calories from Fat: 0 (NaN%)

Amt Per Serving		% DV

	Total Fat 0g	0 %
	Saturated Fat 0g	0 %
	Monounsaturated Fat 0g
	Polyunsanturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg		0 %
Sodium 0mg		0 %
Potassium 0mg		0 %
Total Carbohydrate 0g		0 %
	Dietary Fiber 0g	0 %
	Sugars, other 0g
Protein 0g		0 %
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.