Food - Drink
What Kind Of Fish Is Used To Make Fish Sauce?
By JOHN J LEE
Fish sauce is a slightly sweet, boldly salty, fishy and funky condiment that can be used in many dishes for a kick of umami flavor, but is most commonly produced and used in South Asian countries. Fish sauce can be made from different kinds of fish, but there's one particular species that is best-suited to make this condiment.
Anchovies are the most popular fish to make fish sauce, since they are easy to catch and cheap to buy, have a high fat content, and their small size means they ferment quickly. Shrimp and krill are also commonly used for their smaller size and complex flavor, and mackerel is also popular for fish sauce due to its intense fishy flavor.
To make fish sauce, the fish are coated in salt to concentrate their flavor, then placed in a large barrel with some water and fermented for several months to several years. Extra ingredients like sugar can also be added to the sauce, and once the fish are properly aged, the liquid pressed from the barrels is bottled as fish sauce.