Fish sauce

Fish sauce refers to the exceptionally important ingredients of most Southeast Asian dishes. Usually fish sauce is obtained from small species of fish, which are marinated in a special solution and subjected to a fermentation process. Residents of countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, as well as China, do not present their daily diet without fish sauce, which is seasoned with soups, meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

It is believed that fish sauce acquires its distinctive properties due to its chemical composition. The so-called umami taste in Asia 旨味 or the "fifth taste" of protein substances, which is a hallmark of Japanese culture and culinary traditions in other eastern countries. The taste of umami in fish sauce (as in other products) appears due to the content of sodium glutamate and amino acids. The taste combination of fish sauce with other products is simply ideal due to the original and brackish taste of umami.

In addition to fish sauce, sodium glutamate (Ye600-Ye69

9) is found in exceptionally delicious cheeses such as Parmesa or Roquefort, walnuts, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms and meat. Haven't you ever thought about why fresh meat or fish kebabs are so delicious. It's all about the umami taste, which foodies and researchers separate into a separate group. The word umami has no translation. Umami taste was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, and to this day, disputes over whether umami is the main taste (salty, sweet, sour, sharp, bitter) do not subside among professionals.

Umami can be described in this way - enveloping meat or broth, long-playing taste. Currently, there are the following varieties of fish sauce from:



raw fish;

dried fish;

one fish species;

two or more species of fish;

seafood;

fish blood;

insides;

without/with seasonings;

short-lived fermentation;

deep fermentation;



Usually, a real Asian fish sauce is made from anchovies. Then the final product will have a pronounced fish taste and aroma. In the production of fish sauce, the fish is salted and placed in wooden boxes, where the fermentation process takes place. Over time, the fish begins to let in salty juice, which is the basis of the fish sauce. Also, fish sauce can be classified depending on the regional name of the product.

For example, in Vietnam, fish sauce is called nyokmam, in Thailand and Laos - nampla, in Myanmar - ngan bia yai, in Japan - ishiru or setzuru, in Korea - ekchot, in Cambodia - tykuchi, in Indonesia - terasi paste, and in the Philippines - patis. Usually fish sauce is added during the cooking process. However, other sauces are often made on the basis of fish, which are served as an addition to meat and fish dishes.

It is noteworthy that the history of fish sauce began in European territory as early as the 4th century BC, when the ancient Greeks first made fish sauce. True, modern fish sauce differs in composition from its ancient counterpart. The most famous antique fish sauce was Roman garum. Over time, fish sauce migrated to the national cuisines of Asian countries and became an integral part of the culinary tradition of the region.