FISH SAUCE 101: How Do You Make Vietnamese Fish Sauce

This can be a bit confusing from the perspective of the Vietnamese words. Most people would refer to the well known ready-to-eat prepared sauce (ie, for dipping) with garlic, lime, and chilies. But in Vietnam we also refer to the raw unadulterated sauce from the bottle as nuoc mam. Based on context we know which kind is meant. 

Sometimes on restaurant menus you’ll see nước chấm which use of meaning is the same as nước mắm. Nước chấm in Vietnamese literally says ‘dipping sauce’. Probably at best it would be called nước mắm chấm, which would mean ‘fish sauce dipping sauce’.

When Vietnamese refer to their moms fish sauce they’re most likely talking about the prepared sauce. Very few people would use the raw sauce out of the bottle for anything other than cooking.

HOW DO YOU MAKE FISH SAUCE?

This is a kind of a grey zone, as for some people their fish sauce is a guarded family secret but mostly because a lot of Vietnamese people that I know don’t measure or write a recipe for this.

It all comes down to personal preference. Written down we give a balanced ratio from which you can start tuning your own nuoc mam.

This version is without the use of a mortar and pestle so it’s easy for most people to make.

It’s a watery version which is suitable for like Vietnamese bún (vermicelli) bowls but you can also use it as a dipping sauce.

• 5 tablespoons boiled water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1.5 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 chili (optional)

1. To a bowl add your sugar and boiling water. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved

2. Add your fish sauce and lime juice and then mix it all together.

3. To finish it off add your minced garlic and finely chopped chili.

CAN YOU USE LEMONS?

You can use any acid you want. What’s important is that you have a sour component to balance out the other flavours. Limes are the best in flavour but you can even use vinegar. Using vinegar will keep your nuoc mam longer.

VARIATIONS

From here you can actually modify your game, like adding carrots for color or use more garlic, chili or any of the other ingredients.