# Which Fish Sauce to buy?



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Hey all,

Time to buy some more Fish Sauce. I LOVE the stuff! In France we used to buy "nước mắm", but around my neck of the woods here I seem to find more Thai stores than Vietnamese ones, so I usually buy "nam pla".

I remember reading something here about which one to buy - only I don't remember which one that was... anyone knows a good fish sauce, and what the differences between the different ones are? I think I remember that it's better to buy the lighter colored ones vs the dark colored one?

Also, do you keep it in the fridge, or in the pantry?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Three Crabs is a good reliable brand.

Look for this label http://importfood.com/satc2401.html


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I get nuoc mam, cuz that's the style I'm familiar with. Haven't noticed that brand differences seem to matter much.

It's probably against the rules, but I keep in in the pantry, just like soy sauce.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

MIne lives there too. No refrigeration required.


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## abbot (Jul 24, 2006)

Brands I have used are Squid, Tiparos, and Three Crabs. Three Crabs is lighter and somewhat more delicate in flavor-good for dipping sauces and works fine for cooking. The other two are more heavy duty but also good and you can just dilute a little if too pungent in dipping sauce. I used to refrigerate but have had mine crystallize out the salt in the frig but not always. I think it is just like soy sauce and can be left out indefinitely due to the salt. I use this stuff in so many things, can substitute for anchovies in caesar salad dressing and really wakes up marinara sauce. Of course I use it mostly in SE Asian stuff but it is extremely versatile.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Great, thanks a lot - phatch, I've seen that one at the asian store, so I know I can find it! So far I've always kept mine in the pantry too, but some unknown reason I've gotten into the habit of keeping the soy sauce in the fridge! Not sure why.

What I remember is a discussion not so much about different brands, but different types of fish sauce, like type zzz and type xxx and type xxx was lighter colored and better tasting even though it was just about the same price. This is a bit confused in my mind at the moment and I can't seem to find the thread in question.

Anyway, thanks a lot for your help, I'm already one step closer.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Yeah, there is a term and I can't think of it now that indicates the first batch of liquid, nhi or something. After the first liquid is collected, salt and water are added agian to ferment a lower grade sauce.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Three Crabs is very good Thai style fish sauce. Squid brand is very good Vietnamese style. Three crabs is a little lighter and more delicate (to the extent that fish sauce can be delicate) while Squid brand has a little more body and oomph.

_Nuoc mam_ means "fish sauce" in Vietnamese, and _nam pla_ means the same thing in Thai. Any nuoc mam is nam pla. They are one and the same thing.

BDL


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_Three Crabs is very good Thai style fish sauce. Squid brand is very good Vietnamese style._

Just curious how "very good" is defined, in this context.

My current bottle just happens to be Three Crabs brand, and I haven't noticed that it's better nor worse than others I've tried.

Although made in Thailand, it's identified as Nuoc Mam NHI. So I'm wondering if 1. there is a difference between Nuoc Mam and Nam Pla? or 2. This product is designed for the export market (specifically to Viet Nam)? or 3. Some other reason for the labeling?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

BDL> Yesreday you mentioned making a Ponzu.  I was in my local oriental grocery and found a Kikomman Ponzu Terriaki. Tried it and it amazed me that it was as good as it was. Taste  like orange , lime, lemon mixed Try it.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks Ed, we'll give it a try.  Linda and her sweet tooth really like teriyaki, so how can we go wrong?

BDL


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

phatch said:


> Yeah, there is a term and I can't think of it now that indicates the first batch of liquid, nhi or something. After the first liquid is collected, salt and water are added agian to ferment a lower grade sauce.


Yeah that's what I was looking for but I can't remember either. Oh well - thanks!!

BDL, thanks for the extra info as well. Good to know nam pla and nuoc mam are one and the same. Always hard to pin down the exact meaning of those exotic names.


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## ed-claude (Jun 8, 2010)

I recently acquired a tiny bottle of anchovy syrup (colatura) to prepare Linguine with Colatura , which appeared in the NYT back in 2003. I have no experience with fish sauces of any kind and minimal experience with anchovies, but I was impressed with this stuff. The problem is that it is pretty scarce and expensive, about $20 for 3 oz. or so PLUS shipping charges.

I was wondering if anyone has any idea how it compares with basic fish sauces? I also wonder if anchovy paste could not be used similarly. OTOH, the food people at the NYT are not fools and you'd hope that they wouldn't publish a recipe with such an exotic ingredient when there are equivalent products ready to hand.

(FWIW, I did not think this was a great dish, depending almost totally on the colatura for the "sauce." But it is an amazing substance which gives instant -- with just a few drops --depth and richness to almost anything it touches. But isn't this a general feature of anchovies in various forms? And isn't this the purpose of fish sauces in general?)


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

There is a historic fish sauce of italy, it's name escapes me. Something like aquamen or so. Might be the colatura I don't remember.. It lost popularity shortly after Roman times


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

liquamen and garum are two fish sauces from ancient Roman times


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Anchovy syrup isn't like any other syrup. From what I gather it is obtained from the runoff liquid when anchovies are being made. S therefore anchovy salt and water. And it is not cheap because it takes 5 months or more to make it. I used it once in a dressing for salad not because it called for it but it was in the storeroom for years and no one knew what to do with it... Look out it is very strong.


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## ed-claude (Jun 8, 2010)

_Look out it is very strong._

I found that out for sure when I made my Linguine with Colatura. It especially packs an incredible salt punch. I knew that going in but did not pull back on the salting (to taste like the sea) of my pasta water. Big mistake...and I am a believer in well seasoned food. I've been much more impressed adding a few drops to enrich the flavor of various other dishes than I was trying to use the Colatura as the principle foreground flavor. I guess I'm going to have to buy some traditional Asian fish sauce to see how it compares. I think the Colatura has that umami thing going on BIG TIME.


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## burnthuman (Mar 29, 2010)

I use *Golden Boy* from Thailand. Light golden color, not too strong of an odor, a little sweet, a little bitter. _*Tiparos*_ is also good -- a bit more assertiver flavor and aroma. Having said that, I like most of the fish sauces I've tasted.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Resurrecting this thread to give a plug to Red Boat 40°N fish sauce. Costs about 2x as much as 3  Crabs, but worth it.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

phatch said:


> Resurrecting this thread to give a plug to Red Boat 40°N fish sauce. Costs about 2x as much as 3 Crabs, but worth it.


Thumbs up with Red Boat. Best I have found so far.


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## allanm (Jan 20, 2011)

Out of curiosity what does fish sauce taste like, is it anything like *worchestire* sauce? I have seen it in stores but never tried it. Unfortunately I have health issues that make me reluctant to try new foods.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The general story told for the development of Worcestershire sauce is that it was an attempt to recreate the Fish Sauce the Brits had been exposed to in their occupation of India and environs.

Worcestershire has some sourness and other flavors that Fish Sauce lacks. Fish sauce packs more savory punch and saltiness. A fish sauce with a high °N can have some parmesan notes in the finish, an artifact of fermented protiens. Tasting Fish Sauce straight is not pleasant for most people and is best tried out in other dishes. Nuoc cham is my preferred method for comparing fish sauce.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

BTW: there's a lot of Garum making in Italy still today and other parts of Europe. In fact, one of my friend's mother (from Reggio Calabria) used to make a home made variation not so long ago,


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## butcherman (Oct 23, 2012)

My jug of Three Crabs is in the fridge, cuz it says right there at bottom left of the label, Refrigerate After Opening. Also provides that some crystallizing out of Fish Protein or Salt due to cold temp is usual.  Anyone got an Authority for pantry storage?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Vietworldkitchen.com recommends refrigeration as I recall and to use a bottle within 6 months before oxidation degrades the flavor. I've been a pantry storage guy with mine and don't have any complaints. I do use a bottle within 6 months generally though. The author of vietworldkitchen may well have a more nuanced palate for these things than i do.


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## allanm (Jan 20, 2011)

Phatch,

That nuoc cham looks kind of interesting.  What would you use it on normally, preferably something north American and conservative.

Also would you consider it for beef stew? I am a big fan of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce in meat dishes because I find the mixture gives a huge flavor boost to almost any meat dish.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Nuoc cham is good for salad and slaw as a Vietnamese style dressing--and fat free at that. Even better if you add some whole leaves of mint, basil and such. 

Slice a cucumber thinly and dress with some of this just before serving. You don't wan to let it sit or the cucumbers will weep too much liquid thining the sauce. Nor do you want to pre-salt the cucumbers to get rid of excess liquid because then it will be too salty. 

I use it most on rice paper wraps (goi cuon).

For something simple and North American. Boiled shrimp, served cool,  thinly sliced steak served hot, though a pork chop or chicken filet would be good too. Again. if you can put on a chiffonade of mint and/or basil, you'll be in heaven with Nuoc Cham.


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## allanm (Jan 20, 2011)

Thanks


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

allanm said:


> Also would you consider it for beef stew? I am a big fan of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce in meat dishes because I find the mixture gives a huge flavor boost to almost any meat dish.


Most definitely. A big umami boost. It is a flavor enhancer. I use it on an incredible amount of things. People get hung up on the fish (in the name) part and are incredulous on how widely I use it. They seem to think it is only for seafood dishes.

Look at worcestershire, one of the ingredients is anchovies. Why, because they are a flavor enhancer due to their high level of ummai.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

I've been using fish sauce in savoury Western dishes for some time, often where I would normally use Parmesan as a umami booster. It really does work a treat! My latest discovery in this department is miso paste, which is great if you haven't got any stock knocking around, especially for quick pan sauces. Its flavour is a bit more refined than fish sauce.


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## chicagoterry (Apr 3, 2012)

Squid brand is made in Thailand, not Vietnam, so I'm not sure what makes it a Vietnamese style sauce. 

Red Boat is made in Vietnam but, strangely, I never see it in the Vietnamese markets in my neighborhood. The fish sauces available there all seem to be from Thailand. Tiparos and Squid seem to be the most well-stocked.

Golden Boy wins the best label contest, hands down, but I often have trouble finding it, even in my very SE Asian neighborhood with numerous Vietnamese and Thai markets.

Three Crabs has hydrolized wheat protein in it, so it is not gluten free, if that matters to you for your uses.

There are also some thick, opaque, sometimes chunky, fermented fish condiments in the markets in my neighborhood. I haven't been brave enough to experiment with any of those.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

allanm said:


> That nuoc cham looks kind of interesting. What would you use it on normally, preferably something north American and conservative.


I love Nuoc Cham, and making it repeatedly is how I learned how to balance flavors.

I use it with white rice, grilled meats (fantastic with grilled baby back ribs), or nearly anything deep fried.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Recky said:


> I've been using fish sauce in savoury Western dishes for some time, often where I would normally use Parmesan as a umami booster. It really does work a treat! My latest discovery in this department is miso paste, which is great if you haven't got any stock knocking around, especially for quick pan sauces. Its flavour is a bit more refined than fish sauce.


Thanks for the Miso advice. i'm doing a variation of espagnole sauce. Added 1 tsp. of Miso paste and it's working very nice, like a subtle, interesting change.


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## drlogik (Jan 13, 2014)

I have been a huge Nouc Mam fan for many years. My brand of choice for those many years has been Three Crabs brand...right up until a couple of months ago. I found out about Red Boat brand and have not even touched my Three Crabs since. They make two grades a 40 degree and a 50 degree. The higher degree the higher the content of fish protein. Most other brands are between 20 and 30.

Red Boat is the real deal and is made in Phu Quoc an island off the coast of Vietnam. It is the "Champaign Nuoc Mam" region in Vietnam. The only thing it is made from is black anchovies and salt. The 40 degree is fantastic in cooking. The 50 degree is much more expensive, not quite as salty and better for sauces and dressings.

The cheapest way to buy it is actually directly off the Red Boat web site.

This stuff is so good you can literally eat it out of the bottle. Very few other fish sauces are that good. This stuff is.

I keep mine in the fridge once opened and try to use it up before it goes dark.

Oh, and they make a salt that is made from the fish sauce. It is not advertised and generally only available to chefs but I made two orders with them and they sent me a pound of it. OMG, that stuff is crazy good.

As far as Garum is concerned. It is very expensive because of the process it goes through. It is very similar to the way real Nouc Mam is made. Although I've not tried garum, I have heard that it also has a very high fish protein content. I would guess that Red Boats 50 degree is very similar.

I use the 50 degree instead of anchovies in my shrimp or clam linguine and my family noticed the difference right away. They asked me what I did differently because it's the best they ever had.

Yep, this Red Boat stuff is a game changer. Like I said, I got my first couple of bottles directly from them here: http://redboatfishsauce.com/. My local Asian market now carries it.

Grant


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## padkeejoe (Jun 5, 2013)

The best full flavoured fish sauce I've used to date is the unfortunately named "Megachef" brand from Thailand. Nothing I've found yet compares to it's richness, intensity and ability to pull out and pull together the various tastes in South East Asian curries, large noodle and other stir fry dishes. Word to the wise- a little goes a long way.

For lighter dishes, salads and so forth, I like the Royal Crab brand, although any of several others mentioned here work equally as well.

Having read the review above, I'll be keeping my eye out for Red Boat during the next trip to the Asian markets.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Megachef didn't impress me or the other people I tested it with.  It was ok.  If that's the style of fish sauce you like, I'd recommend IHA. A little harder to find but rated higher in the testing I did.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I wonder where you guys find all those fish sauces? I have a mega Asian store close by with dozens and dozens of different brands of fish sauce, but no Red Boat, IHA or Megachef in sight.


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## drlogik (Jan 13, 2014)

French Fries,

Order Red Boat from their web site.  They seem to be out of the 50 degree unless it's in the smaller bottles.  It's worth it though.

Grant


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Thank you Grant.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The Megachef has really made inroads into the market recently in my area. It's made in Thailand. The blue label is marketed as Vietnamese style and the brown label as Thai style fish sauce. One of the goals of this brand was to make it have no "offensive" odor. They largely succeeded but it lost its impact in the process.

I can find it in most of the Asian grocers locally now, but two months ago it was just in one store. Red Boat is really available everywhere too.

If you want to read my testing, it's on my blog. http://itsallabouttohappen.blogspot.com/2013/11/fish-sauces-compared.html


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

phatch said:


> If you want to read my testing, it's on my blog. http://itsallabouttohappen.blogspot.com/2013/11/fish-sauces-compared.html


Thank you very much for that link. Very informative. Just made a chicken with cabbage, lemon and ginger, seasoned it with a bit of palm sugar and (flying lion) fish sauce... dinner time! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## drlogik (Jan 13, 2014)

Phatch,

Nice review indeed. I'm a bit intrigued by Five Crabs.  I just may have to go find some.

Grant


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I've looked for five crabs but haven't seen any in my area yet.


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## zeusbheld (Feb 3, 2012)

I think you should try them and compare them. Some are fishier, some are saltier, and some are umamier (is that even a word? well it is now). I like having a couple of variations for different purposes, and I sometimes substitute it for salt in western dishes as well (I got the idea from Michael Ruhlman's using it in mac and cheese).

I live in Bangkok, and have a few favorite brands of fish sauce, but I've not yet found any that are unacceptable. This next month will be spent moving house and sorting things out, but when I get a chance I'll put up some notes and maybe pictures of various fish sauces I've tried and liked over here. Can't guarantee they'll be available over there but you never know...


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

zeusbheld said:


> I'll put up some notes and maybe pictures of various fish sauces I've tried and liked over here. Can't guarantee they'll be available over there but you never know...


Yes, please do, that would be great! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Noticed that Whole Foods had Red Boat in their Asian section. Price was double what I can get it for in the Asian grocers, but at least it's available.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

phatch said:


> Noticed that Whole Foods had Red Boat in their Asian section. Price was double what I can get it for in the Asian grocers, but at least it's available.


Well I would have never thought to look for fish sauce at WF since I'm constantly going to Asian grocers, but I'll look it up next time! Thanks for the tip.


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## padkeejoe (Jun 5, 2013)

phatch said:


> Noticed that Whole Foods had Red Boat in their Asian section. Price was double what I can get it for in the Asian grocers, but at least it's available.


I surely wish we had something akin to a Whole Foods or better yet, a New Seasons or Zupans here in New South Wales. Heck even a Fred Meyer or Haggens would do.

Tried sourcing the IHA that you recommended, along with the Red Boat, at the local Thai and Chinese groceries, but to no avail. We may be able to find them (at least Red Boat) on a Sydney run, but even there, none of the groceries hold a candle to the pan Asian superstores like Uwajimaya in the states (Pacific Northwest).

We did pick up a bottle of 3 Crabs, and of course Squid brand is always on the shelves, but the Royal Crab that we've enjoyed for the past several years is no longer available. I surmise that this may be due to the fact that Royal Crab prominently features _Phú Quốc -Vietnam "Sauce de Poisson" on the label, _and yet the fine print indicates that it's a product of Thailand.


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## autoredial (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks for the link to Red Boat's website. I tracked down a source using their online local seller search system here. Got a 500ml bottle on sale for $6.99, usually $8.99. A bottle of Three Crabs is $2.99 for 750ml.

What an eye opener! This stuff is amazing. The flavor is richer, less salty, more complex, and less fishy. The possible uses for fish sauce just expanded exponentially. It adds a rich, complex deliciousness to everything I've used it with where Three Crabs would have overwhelmed with its saltiness and fishiness. It is also actually usable as a dipping sauce. A simple sauce with Red Boat, lime, chili, garlic, and a little rock sugar was incredible on grilled meats where Three Crabs would have been overpowering.

Thanks for the introduction! A whole world opened up.

EDIT: Thanks phatch for the introduction!


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## zeusbheld (Feb 3, 2012)

PadKeeJoe said:


> The best full flavoured fish sauce I've used to date is the unfortunately named "Megachef" brand from Thailand. Nothing I've found yet compares to it's richness, intensity and ability to pull out and pull together the various tastes in South East Asian curries, large noodle and other stir fry dishes. Word to the wise- a little goes a long way.
> 
> For lighter dishes, salads and so forth, I like the Royal Crab brand, although any of several others mentioned here work equally as well.
> 
> Having read the review above, I'll be keeping my eye out for Red Boat during the next trip to the Asian markets.


Megachef's widely available in Thailand (Big C, Tesco Lotus, etc. carry it). It's a pretty good fish sauce but for me the salty-to-umami balance leans too much toward salty.


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## phil ramsey (Feb 1, 2014)

*Garum* was a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment[sup][1][/sup] in the cuisines of ancient Greece, Rome, and Byzantium. *Liquamen* was a similar preparation, and at times the two were synonymous. Although it enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Roman world, the sauce was earlier used by the Greeks. The Latin word _garum_ derives from the Greek _garos_ or _garon_ (γάρον), of uncertain origin.[sup][2][/sup]
[h2]The above taken from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum

[/h2]


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## drlogik (Jan 13, 2014)

Autoredial,

Did you try the Red Boat 50 degree or 40 degree? The 50 will blow your mind. And, yeah, I echo your comments about where/when it can be used. Incredible stuff. You have to call them and get them to send you a pound of their salt to. Whoah!! Sprinkle just a little bit on a grilled steak and holy F'n crap man.........a whole different experience.


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## dungrichie (Jan 1, 2015)

Hi All,

We are the owner of an F&B company.  We are here to share our views on the fish sauce to buy.

We would like to recommend the Cat Hai fish sauce which is from Vietnam.  It comes with 18Deg and 15Deg.

The degree is the warming process for the fish sauce which is under the hot sun.  The more exposure to hot sun the better the grade of the fish sauce.

Recently i have found out that there will be a supplier and they will be distributing this brand of Fish Sauce from Vietnam and it will be effective from Feb 2015 onwards.  Normally this brand of Cat Hai fish sauce come with natural fish and sea salt.  There isn't any addictive added inside the sauce.  We strongly recommend this brand as compared to other brand which is none comparable.

Why not try this brand.

Cheers and Happy New Year

Ms Dung & Richie


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## full sack (Oct 19, 2014)

*Got some Red Boat 40˚ N, from the Haight Street Market in San Francisco, this morning. It's probably cheaper there than the Whole Foods down the street.*

*Great thread! Thanks for the comparisons and the uses ideas.*


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

phatch said:


> ...Slice a cucumber thinly and dress with some of this just before serving. You don't wan to let it sit or the cucumbers will weep too much liquid thining the sauce. Nor do you want to pre-salt the cucumbers to get rid of excess liquid because then it will be too salty.


Thanks for the suggestion--I just tried it and it's yummy,  The fish sauce I have isn't one that anyone here recommended--it's Caravelle brand from Thailand, el cheapo, which I happened to have.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Nuoc Cham is a glorious thing. Glad you liked it.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I ordered some Red Boat through Amazon.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I use Red Boat. I only have to go a couple of blocks to a market that carries it.

mjb.


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## everydaygourmet (Apr 4, 2012)

Absolutely love the stuff! Having trouble finding Red Boat and my Asian grocer (who is from Vietnam btw) disdains Red Boat, she recommended "9999" and gave me a 15 minute primer on Nuoc Mam. Her advice to look for lighter amber colored for it's purity. She akin-ed it to first press extra virgin olive oil. 4-9's is also over 2x the price of 3 Crabs which I use as well more for cooking than dipping sauce.

Use it in white clam sauce, scampi, fish dip, Nantua and Mignonette. Also use a couple drops in tartar sauce and in my glaze for grilled seafood.

here's an interesting "how to" article http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/2008/11/fish-sauce-buying-guide.html

Cheers!

EDG


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I've never seen 9999 brand either. I'll keep an eye out for it.


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## everydaygourmet (Apr 4, 2012)

9999.jpg




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everydaygourmet


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Jan 5, 2015


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I just figured something out the hard way--people who get gout should eat very little fish sauce. It's very high in purines.


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## full sack (Oct 19, 2014)

OregonYeti said:


> I just figured something out the hard way--people who get gout should eat very little fish sauce. It's very high in purines.


Thanks OY. I'm prone to gout and that didn't occur to me. Read a recent study that claimed fish is more likely to cause a gout flare up than meat, (the opposite of what I thought). In the study, alcohol still held its place as the number one offender.


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## nuoc mam (May 15, 2016)

Red boat or 9999 are gơod, but i love red boat more .9999  tơo salt  for me.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Red Boat is now available at Trader Joe's, which is quite convenient.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Saw some 5 Crabs while I was making the different rounds of the Asian grocers. Picked up a bottle for sampling. 

Side by side, the labels read the same for nutrition and ingredients as with 3 Crabs. The color and clarity look the same as 3 Crabs. This is clean and complex tasting with a salty kick in the finish than 3 Crabs.  The Red Boat I compared it too, which is nearing the end of the bottle, 4 or 5 months old, has more "funk" to it, which I suppose is the thing French Fries objects to as fish sauce ages, but was still quite good too. This fresher 5 crabs is probably better than the funky Red Boat, except the heavy sodium, which I can tell the difference with where I cook with a sodium restriction. I should get a fresh red boat to compare against while it's still at its peak. 

I'd say this is along the lines the of the IHA, better than the Megachef, but it comes with a high sodium count.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Golden Boy Brand





  








golden_boy_label.jpg




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jake t buds


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Dec 6, 2016


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

It's a good time to be buying Fish Sauce in Salt Lake City. Found the 9999 brand today, and with other bottles of fresh fish sauce on hand, it was time to do some more side by side tasting.

9999 is very balanced tasted straight. Usually fish sauce tilts fishy, or savory punchy or salty or something, except for Megachef. Surprisingly so since it has higher sodium count,  1679 mg/tablespoon. It doesn't taste as salty as Red Boat which is lower sodium nor as salty as the 5 Crabs which is just a little higher at 1800 mg. But, 9999 may be classified as a bit of a cheater. They use an artificial sweetener, Acesulfame K (potassium). And some protein flavor boosters, Disodium 5 in two different forms.

The 5 crabs has a strong salty kick at the end and the Red Boat is more fish forward. I suppose that reflects the protein content. 9999 has 3 grams/tablespoon and the Red Boat 4.

In nuoc cham, my default ratios reward Red Boat. Which isn't surprising as that's what I've been using for a while. The 9999 needs a little bit more of itself to balance the lime and other flavors. The 5 crabs could be reduced a bit, perhaps, but that might just be my sodium sensitivity showing through. These are all good in slightly different ways. I think my preference is still to Red Boat, but I would happily use 9999. The 5 crabs is saltier than I really like but not bad by any means. And that reflects my lower sodium cooking more than anything.

Lastly there was a small bottle of Red Boat Phamily Reserve at 16.00 for about 7 oz on the shelf. This is a 50 N sauce. I was tempted to buy it, but I already have a lot of opened fish sauce on hand I need to use up. one of these days I'll give that a shot.

5 Crabs I probably wouldn't buy again. I like more nuance and less sodium. 9999 is probably just below IHA in my personal ranking, and ahead of Megachef, but still trail Red Boat.


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## kitchenhack (Jul 22, 2016)

I also like Red Boat.


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

The real reason I buy Golden Boy Brand?

Its got Lord Voldemorts' baby photo on every bottle.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Squid has entered the premium fish sauce market. The label only shows 2 grams of protein in the serving size as opposed to 3 or 4. Still higher than many others on the market. And the ingredients are only fish and salt, first pressing so nhi grade.

Will have to try it soon.

https://www.sayweee.com/en/product/...7305&msclkid=ed7ccbc051fa1c9b5c59a98319d456aa


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## summer57 (Sep 21, 2010)

Red Boat for me - and I double down with Red Boat Salt when I really want a hit of umami. Though I use the salt as sprinkle, not in addition to the Red Boat sauce. I have some restraint.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Anything that's available 
We are not blessed with a lot of choice. Only one oriental shop and not always stock.
Now, if whenever I'm back in the Netherlands, it's a differrent story. There you can even find it in any "standard" supermarket


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## Cief Lonwind of the North (Jun 7, 2021)

I too like Red Boat. It's a premium fish sauce, with basic ingredients, no fillers. Here's a link to their website - https://redboatfishsauce.com/collections/shop.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Transglutaminase (Jan 9, 2019)

I like Golden Boy, but find it a bit intense sometimes (can be a good thing)
Using "Lucky" (Thailand) lately.
I've found that, if left alone, they all grow big huge salt crystals on the bottom.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Tried the Squid Premium brand today. Color is more golden amber than brown or red brown of Red Boat. It's just as salty but the fish pungency is very mellow. Seems to miss the point of fish sauce. It reminds me more of MegaChef in being on the mild side. I think it tastes better than MegaChef though MegaChef has more pungency if that makes any sense. It won't be my choice in fish sauce.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I was lucky enough to visit Vietnam some years back and went to phu quoc, big producing area of high quality fish sauce.
Not pungent at all. But I got used to the pungent ones and equate them more with what fish sauce should be.
As a comparison: I got given a bottle of real extra virgin olive oil from a Spanish foodie, and, to be honest, I prefer the cheaper, much more tangy stuff from RSA, Greece & Spain that we can get here


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