Natural form

Fish sauce poured into a small clear glass bowl, showing its dark amber liquid color and translucency.

Reveals the distinctive color, translucency, and liquid form that identify fish sauce at a glance.

Sauces & Pastes

Fish Sauce

Funky, salty essence that brings deep umami to SE Asian dishes

Pungent in the bottle but transformative in the pan, fish sauce delivers a salty, savory depth to Thai and Vietnamese cooking. A few drops do the work. Keep it at room temperature.

Fish sauce is the umami engine of Southeast Asian cooking — a clear amber liquid made by salting and fermenting anchovies (or other small fish) for months until they break down into a pungent, deeply savory brine. It smells assertive in the bottle but melts into dishes as pure, salty depth, the way anchovies disappear into a great Caesar dressing. Indispensable in Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino food, and a secret weapon in many non-Asian dishes.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Room Temperature

Allergens

Fish

Find it in

International

Types & varieties

Vietnamese nước mắm

Often lighter and a touch sweeter; prized first-press grades.

Thai nam pla

Robust and salty; the everyday Thai bottle.

Filipino patis

Clear and sharp, used as a finishing seasoning.

First-press / extra-virgin fish sauce

More nuanced, less harsh — worth it for dipping sauces.

How to use

Use it like liquid salt with umami built in. A teaspoon deepens stir-fries, curries, marinades, and dressings; combined with lime, sugar, garlic, and chili it becomes the classic dipping sauce nước chấm.

Seasoning curries, stir-fries, and noodle dishes
Nước chấm and dipping sauces
Marinades for grilled meat
A dash to deepen stews, dressings, and even Bolognese

How to store

It keeps for a very long time. Refrigerate after opening to preserve flavor and limit the smell; a little crystallization is harmless.

Common uses

Thai curries and stir-friesNước chấm dipping sauceMarinades for grilled meat and chickenPad thai and noodle dishesVietnamese caramel braisesSalad dressings (Thai and beyond)Deepening stews, soups, and tomato sauce