How To Elevate Your Dishes With Fish Sauce

by Jillian Giandurco

Fish sauce: it’s more versatile than you’d think. Fish sauce is a staple seasoning used in East Asian and South Asian cuisine, and can be used in all sorts of ways – as a vinaigrette, a marinade, in soups, in stir-fries, in braised meats, and even in yogurt dips. If you want a rundown on why fish sauce should be a must have in your kitchen, keep reading on.

If you didn’t know, fish sauce is the liquid that results from a fermentation of fish (typically anchovies) and salt. Nowadays, the salted condiment can be made from fish or krill and can be fermented for up to two years at a time. Fish sauce is known for its salty, briny flavor, but there’s also a sweetness to the condiment that can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared for it.

Fish sauce is known for its bitter umami flavor, and has a big influence over Asian cuisine. Different parts of the world have different fish sauce origin stories, but in Asia, sauces with fermented fish parts can be traced back to China from more than 2300 years ago. Today, fish sauce is most prevalent in such places as Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The most common use of fish sauce (and the best way to use it, too) is as a base in more complex dishes, dressings, and dips. It’s not unusual to add additional garnishes such as sugar, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and so much more to fish sauce to customize the flavor to your liking. Some people even use fish sauce in marinara sauce! From broths to pasta sauce, the possibilities of fish sauce are truly endless.

Think you can handle the rich umami flavor of fish sauce? These fish sauces available on Bokksu Market make for a perfect introduction to the Asian condiment.

Squid Brand Fish Sauce

Made with the Thai community in mind, the Squid Brand Fish Sauce was created in 1944 and has remained a staple in Thai households today! This popular fish sauce contains anchovies, salt, and sugar, and boasts its well-known fishy yet flavorful palate. Add this sauce to your pad thai and nam pla prik to get the full effect of its flavor!

Squid Brand Fish Sauce

Golden Boy Fish Sauce

The Golden Boy Fish Sauce contains the same ingredients as the Squid Brand Fish Sauce, but boasts a more balanced flavor palate and a muted scent to match.

Golden Boy Fish Sauce

Whether you’re interested in checking out fish sauce for yourself, or you’re looking for a reliable way to shop for all your Asian groceries in one place, Bokksu Market has got you covered! Bokksu Market carries all your favorite Asian grocery items, and makes ordering groceries online easier than ever. Oh, and, those groceries you can never seem to find in a store near you? We’ve got those, too! Stop by Bokksu Market today to get your Asian grocery fill, or take your foodie status to the next level with the Classic Bokksu subscription box. Each box contains 20-24 Japanese snacks and a tea pairing, which means you’ll be set with sensational snacks until your next snack box arrives!


Author Bio

Jillian Giandurco works primarily as a Trending News Writer for Elite Daily, where she writes about all things Food, Travel, and Tech related. Brands she has covered in the past include Kit Kat, Hershey’s, Expedia, and many more.