Nước Chấm [The Soul of Vietnamese cuisine]
Nước Chấm (Seasoned Fish Sauce)is the staple table condiment on most Vietnamese dining tables. Most commonly used as a dressing and a dipping sauce. Its complex, yet balanced flavors [spicy,...
Commercial Fish Sauce is smelly. Not traditional Fish Sauce. Commercial Fish Sauce stinks because it uses anchovy extracts.
In the case of Anchovy extract in Vietnam, it’s old anchovies that were not fresh or sold at the market. It’s decaying fish, that is dried then pulverized into a paste with additives, such as processed wheat.
Traditional Vietnamese Fish Sauce is made from fermenting 70% fresh wild-caught anchovy and 30% sea salt for one year. Like olive oil, Fish Sauce is pressed. The first press is comparable to (what Italians consider ‘extra virgin’) a ‘top tier’ product.