As well as imparting a complex and enhancing flavour profile, making it a crucial ingredient in many dishes, fish sauce also has health benefits. Fish sauce contains a high amount of essential amino acids, which support sleep and boost both the digestive system and metabolism. Another benefit is the omega-3 it delivers, which helps to reduce blood cholesterol and improves both brain and heart function. And it has a significant level of iron and Vitamin B12—you could say fish sauce is the ultimate umami!
The crucial ingredients in fish sauce are black anchovies and smaller white anchovies. Together, they comprise about 95% of the fish used. Larger fish like sardines and herring make up the rest. When the fish are caught, they are immediately drained while still on the boat, then salted and stored, meaning that the fermentation process has already begun, using the freshest possible catch.
The salted fish is transferred to large wooden barrels to begin an aging process that may last up to 12 months. Good fish sauce is the juice in the flesh of fish that is extracted after a prolonged salting and fermentation process. It requires years to make top-quality Vietnamese dipping fish sauce. The type of wood adds to the flavour of the finished product - premium wooden barrels lend deeper umami taste to the sauce. The production closely related unique combination of environmental factors, including the right humidity and heat that slowly lets the mixture reduce down, to leave between three and four thousand liters of fish sauce per barrel.
Specialists monitor the barrels, taste the sauce, and decide when a batch is ready to be pressed. The most expensive fish sauce is drawn directly from the first press of a single vat, and is unmixed with other batches or diluted with water.
The final stage comes when they send a sample of the sauce to the lab to get a grade of the intensity, measured in degrees of nitrogen, a byproduct of the fermentation process. Without the correct level, it cannot be certified on the bottle’s label. The mildest version starts from 35° N, while the most intense are around 45° N.
When Vietnamese fish sauce is combined with other ingredients like sugar, lime juice, and chilies, the fishy smell fades away and its ability to add richness and flavor to food becomes apparent. An interesting fact is that not all fish sauce is created in the same way.
The product will ripen up to 3 months, then go through a filter before it is ready to serve. The residue is added with saturated brine and keep isolated in about 3-4 month and follows the same pattern as the first quality of the fish sauce. However, the difference is that they blend with the initial product before starting bottling.
When Vietnamese fish sauce is combined with other ingredients like sugar, lime juice, and chilies, the fishy smell fades away and its ability to add richness and flavor to food becomes apparent.
Fish sauce with sliced chili - The first to be mentioned in the list of the best Vietnamese fish sauces is the one that requires the least change. This sauce is served with some slices of chili only. In this way, you can enjoy the authentic and original taste and aroma of Vietnamese fish sauce.
For some dishes like veal meat, duck meat, and snails, ginger fish sauce is the best match. It is quite similar to the sweet and sour fish sauce, but for this variation, ginger is a must-have. Some people love to use minced ginger, while others might prefer it to be sliced.
The next variation is the sweet and sour fish sauce, a very popular Vietnamese fish sauce that can go with any kind of food. The main ingredients are fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, minced garlic, and chili. Mixing them might sound simple, but in fact, getting the perfect balance of sweetness, sourness, and saltiness is easier said than done.
