Speak to a connoisseur, and they will tell you that these are all crucial to differentiation between sauces. Their tastes vary on factors like the species of fish used (most commonly oily fish varieties) whether it is fresh water or from the open sea how much salt is added whether or not fish is the only protein (there are versions that include krill, squid, prawns, soy and even wheat) what kind of vessel was used during the ageing process the method of extraction and so on. We can demand better quality fish sauce.įirst, the basics: fish sauces can be same, same but different. Now we’ve arrived at the state of maturity where we can all eat more delicious food – without judgemental stares – we have power in numbers. No, I’m not bitter, I’m mainly glad that it’s out in the world more broadly, and has become a pantry staple. So perhaps it is on us that it’s been kept secret for so long.įast forward 30 years and much to my chagrin it’s suddenly very hip for white ladies and gentlemen to write fish sauce into their recipes, well dang that! Afterwards I asked my mum to please cook something “normal” when friends were over like canned beans on toast.Įxperiences like this mean that, in the past, many of us added fish sauce to our cooking timidly – in the presence of our friends of paler shades – for fear they’d unfriend us if they knew what we were actually eating. I was shamed into submission by a visiting school friend who pinched her nose on a play date when she saw me eat said eggs with relish. To my chagrin it’s suddenly very hip for white ladies and gentlemen to write fish sauce into their recipes, well dang that!

That was where the flavour and satiety was. I grew up thinking fried eggs came complete with fish sauce, the lacy fried whites and creamy half-cooked yolks were the perfect vehicle for the deep, rich, salty mineral taste I craved. If your heritage means you grew up eating food where fish sauce is a ubiquitous ingredient, you probably have the proclivity to souse nearly everything savoury with it. Unless you are a well-versed home cook or chef, the thing that makes a dish taste amazing can’t quite be placed. If the cook is the conductor of a dish, then fish sauce is the first violin, defining and carrying the melody, adding character. The names may vary, but what is universally agreed upon is that, if you’ve got a deft hand, fish sauce makes a good dish infinitely better, and instantly gives something ho-hum an X-factor. A condiment made of variants of fish, fish parts, salt (and sometimes water) is an important ingredient for a majority of world cuisines, whether they’re calling it nahm pla, shottsuru, nuoc mam, garum, patis, ayu gyosho, colatura di alici, teuk trei, kecap, Worcestershire, or terasi. However, not every soy sauce is created equally, and some are worth the sodium more than others.This is no joke. Really, there is no 'best soy sauce,' since every soy sauce has different uses for different dishes and regional cuisines.

Thai and Indonesian soy sauces are on the sweeter side, and new substitutes like gluten-free, vegan, and low-sodium soy sauces are creating more options to enhance any style of cooking.

Japanese styles also include light and dark soy sauces, but also include tamari, which is typically made without wheat. The most commonly used Chinese soy sauces are the light, a general purpose soy sauce, and dark, primarily used for cooking double black, and seasoned soy sauce are also popular varieties. According to The Woks of Life, the most common soy sauces originate from China and Japan, even though there are some common Southeast Asian brands available at Asain markets. Even though soy sauce can be commonly found in western cooking today, the numerous types of soy sauce vary from region to cooking methods.

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