Blog

Vietnamese fish sauce (Nuoc Mam)

Vietnamese fish sauce, Nước Mắm, is one of the most important aspect in traditional Vietnamese cuisine. No matter what region are you in, Nước Mắm will definitely be used in almost every dishes. It’s in the culture, it’s cannot be omitted or replaced.

But, have you ever wondered, how do they make Nước Mắm? What is the process needed for the sauce to be so flavorful? Is there any difference between fish sauce from Phu Quoc island and from Phan Thiet?

Let’s find out together, shall we?

The process of making Nước Mắm is not much different through time. The traditional recipe passed down from generation to generation is 1 kg of fish mixed with 3kg of salt. That composite will also be contained in a large tank for approximately 9 months. Afterward, they will extract all the liquid from the tank, mix the remained compound of fish and salt, then pour the liquid in again. The tank is kept until two more months and there comes the final product: Nước Mắm.

It may sound easy but to produce the high-quality Nước Mắm, there are so many requests in the process. Firstly, fishes have to be caught in the sea and washed, then marinated with salt and stored, waiting for the next step. After going back to land, they will estimate how much salt should be added in to the fish. Hence, each family will have their own secret recipe which make their Nước Mắm unique and can’t be duplicated.

To fully understand said process, we have a look at Ba Làng, a Nước Mắm manufacture factory with five generations in the job.

Nước Mắm is often made from anchovies, salt and water. Instead of using big clay jars like the traditional ways of making fish sauce to contain the ingredient, Ba Làng has built a system of two-level tanks for the process. The first level is used to hold the fish, salt and water, pressing all together for fermentation, the second level will play the role of a container. Nước Mắm after being pressed and fermented will constantly move from the first level tank to the second level and that way, help the sauce’s protein concentration remains at its highest and most balance without any additives like sugar, hydrolyzed protein, or preservatives.

It is said, one tank of Nước Mắm needs at least 2 years of waiting for the final product to be ready. During that time, especially when it needs to be sun bathed, the factory has to ensure that employees are always around. The sanitary of the working ground is also much needed and under strict observation of the authorities with 2 rounds of checking for each ground. Moreover, the factory has to present all the records and paper works to demonstrate the ingredients authenticity for future background check.

The most important aspect of the finished product regarding the fish sauce when brought out to the market is the first launch’s quality. With that being said, Nước Mắm protein levels and salinity are two main factors that will be checked by the authorities. Also, before the products are sold at markets, all Nước Mắm manufacture factories have to give their Nước Mắm samples to the Quality Control Departments of Agriculture and Forestry-Fisheries and have the sauce’s indicators of food safety thoroughly checked. All the shipment that passes the tests, the Quality Control Departments will stamp their certifying stamp in each bottle cap.

So next time you enjoy a dish with fish sauce in or on it, make sure to check the bottle, maybe you will find a new appreciation for Nước Mắm.

By Tiger Team

Leave a Reply