TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Asian Fish Sauce Types
Aekjeot is a traditional fish sauce originating from South Korea. The sauce is used as a condiment and it's usually made from fermented anchovies (mulch aekjeot) or sand lances (kkanari aekjeot). The liquid usually has a light brown color and it's often used for making kimchi because it speeds up the fermentation process.
Aekjeot is also used in soups, stews, and many Korean side dishes due to its umami flavor.
Phú Quốc is a unique fish sauce extracted by long time fermentation of anchovies' flesh at a high temperature, in West Vietnam. The fish extract / sauce has a delicate smell without unusual ammonia tones because of long time fermentation in wooden barrels.
It is dark red to brown and tastes rich and complex, intensely sweet and salty, with a distinctive fatty taste and a sweet aftertaste. Once the final product is made, it is then bottled in plastic or glass containers. It can be used in soups and marinades or act as an accompaniment to noodle dishes and spring rolls.
This Vietnamese fish sauce originates from Phan Thiết, a place famous for fish sauce production. The sauce is made from fermented salted anchovies. They're placed into high, cylindrical-shaped wooden crated and left to ferment. The flavor is savory, earthy, full of umami, complex, and rich.
At first it tastes salty, but there's also a sweet aftertaste. The sauce is graded by color – the darkest ones are from the first extraction of the liquid, while the other ones come from subsequent extractions with the addition of water, and those ones are usually used for cooking.
Ishiri is a traditional fish sauce originating from Noto in Ishikawa Prefecure. On the western part of Noto, the sauce is made with Japanese sardines (iwashi), and on the eastern part it’s made with squid liver. The ingredients are fermented with salt from 7 to 9 months before consumption.
The sauce is drained from the barrels, boiled, filtered, and then chilled. Ishiri is often used instead of soy sauce and it’s also used as condiment in hot pot dishes. The flavor is very intense and fishy.
Patis is a traditional fish sauce, widely used in Philippine cuisine as a seasoning or condiment. It is made by fermenting fish and salt together, resulting in a clear, amber-colored liquid that imparts a distinct umami flavor to dishes.
The process of making patis involves allowing the fish mixture to ferment for several months, during which the fish breaks down, and the liquid that forms is then strained and bottled. Patis is used to enhance the taste of many Filipino dishes, including soups, stews, and marinades, adding depth and a salty, savory flavor profile.
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