Top 8 Things to Know Before Choosing and Buying Fish Sauce

Unlike industrial dipping sauce, traditional fish sauce is a product made entirely by the manual fermentation method of our ancestors. The sauce is extracted from the essence of rice-field crabs and salt, soaked for 18-24 months in bamboo barrels. This process helps the crab meat soaked in salty brine to decompose proteins from simple to complex, along with amino acids beneficial to health. These amino acids are synthesized from enzymes present in the digestive system and in the crab meat, giving traditional fish sauce a sweet aftertaste, harmoniously salty and truly NATURAL, PURE, CLEAN without any interference of flavorings, additives, or technological machinery. Traditional fish sauce products are more expensive than industrial ones: from 30,000 VND and up.

Delicious traditional fish sauce (also known as pure essence fish sauce) must be extracted from fish with the unique ingredients of only fish and salt, without any interference of additives or flavorings. This is the factor to evaluate the quality of delicious fish sauce, ensuring health safety for consumers. Delicious traditional fish sauce is easily distinguished from industrial dipping sauce through many factors such as: richness, color, aroma and taste... In addition, dipping sauces with a protein content below 10 N g/l are not considered fish sauce. For a good traditional essence fish sauce product, it must have a naturally high protein content, without the intervention of chemicals, additives, or flavorings. According to the experience of choosing delicious fish sauce, traditional essence fish sauce products made by the traditional method with ingredients of only fish and salt must have a protein content ranging from (25 N g/l - 40 N g/l) as indicated on the label to be a standard product.

Fish sauce is a market full of potential with nearly 100% of Vietnamese households using it directly or in cooking. The market value of fish sauce reaches up to $500 million, growing at an annual rate of over 20%. According to the data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, 98% of Vietnamese people use fish sauce in their daily meals. Fish sauce is considered an indispensable spice in Vietnamese families' meals. According to the market research data from Kantar Worldpanel in 2018, the household penetration rate in urban areas for fish sauce is around 97%, with significant consumption at 11 liters/year/household. Every year, Vietnamese people consume over 200 million liters of fish sauce, generating total revenue exceeding 7 trillion VND.

Out of the over 200 million liters of fish sauce consumed, about 150 million liters are industrial fish sauce, equivalent to about 75%, accounting for three-quarters of the fish sauce consumed in the country. According to research companies, the spice and dipping sauce market in Vietnam will grow on average from 25-32% annually from now until 2022. This is a highly potential market, and Vietnamese enterprises are striving to compete with foreign companies. Traditional fish sauce (made from fish and salt) has been created by coastal people in Vietnam for thousands of years. The traditional fermentation methods practiced in villages like Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan), Cat Hai (Hai Phong) have existed for at least 200 years...

The fierce battle for fish sauce market share has been ongoing since industrial fish sauce emerged less than 20 years ago. It not only competes with traditional fish sauce but also fiercely competes for market share among industrial fish sauce brands. Industrial fish sauce has a lower density than regular fish sauce, around 3 - 4 times lower. Density is a parameter reflecting the quality of fish sauce. However, higher density does not necessarily mean better taste; it only applies to traditional fish sauce, which has naturally high density (real density) without dilution. Fish sauces with a density of 50 – 60 are often produced using technology, salt reduction, or industrial methods. These products are made from a part of pure fish sauce, fermenting with vegetable protein, often hydrolyzed by various methods, then adding flavorings, and mixing with artificial protein-rich solutions.

The smell of traditional fish sauce is a bit strong, while industrial fish sauce has a fainter and lighter aroma. Traditional fish sauce sticks to your hands, and the smell is hard to wash off, whereas industrial fish sauce loses its smell immediately after washing hands. Traditional fish sauce has a color ranging from pale yellow to reddish-brown. If left open to the air for a few hours, it will turn darker due to not using additives during processing. Industrial fish sauce: has an attractive color and remains unchanged even when exposed to the air outside, thanks to the use of color enhancers and additives. Industrial fish sauce: Much cheaper than traditional fish sauce. Various types of industrial fish sauce are competitively priced compared to traditional fish sauce products, ranging from 15,000 – 30,000 VND. Currently, the most well-known industrial fish sauce brand in the Vietnamese market is Masan, with two popular fish sauce brands: Chinsu and Nam Ngư.

Prior to October 17, the Vietnam Standards and Consumer Protection Association (Vinastas), a member of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (Vusta) and the International Consumer Organization, announced the results of a survey of 150 samples of fish sauce from 88 brands nationwide. Among the 150 surveyed samples, 101 fish sauce samples did not meet the arsenic - tin criteria (accounting for 67%). The announcement also made it clear: the higher the density, the higher the arsenic content. 95% of the samples with a density of 40 degrees or higher had arsenic levels exceeding the regulated threshold, meaning that traditional fish sauce products all contain deadly arsenic compounds.

Afterward, many experts and businesses doubted the accuracy of the results, affecting the production and business situation of fish sauce enterprises. On October 21, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep) and traditional fish sauce associations sent a recommendation to the Prime Minister and relevant agencies at the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Ministry of Public Security requesting clarification of the incident. On October 22, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to examine the specific implementation of legal regulations in disseminating information on Vinastas in the media, strictly handle any violations (if any). The report to the Prime Minister before November 10. On the evening of October 22, the Ministry of Health affirmed that 100% of fish sauce samples are safe because they do not contain inorganic arsenic above the threshold.

In every Vietnamese household, a meal's essential ingredient is undoubtedly fish sauce. Beyond being a vital spice for stir-fries, cooking, and dipping sauce, fish sauce is also a valuable source of nutrition. It contains numerous amino acids, especially essential amino acids such as valine, methionine, phenylalanine, alanine, isoleucine, and most importantly, lysine. In the realm of food, alongside cleanliness, everyone is concerned about nutritional value as it impacts health and normal body development. Some may think fish sauce is just a flavor-enhancing additive, and thus, it doesn't meet nutritional requirements. However, using fish sauce can provide various nutrients for your body. Especially when feeling tired or during a weather change, simply using 1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (about 30ml) can supplement your body with nutrients.

Typically, fish sauce contains four optimal nutritional components for the body. The more accurate measuring parameter than solid content is the protein content, usually measured in grams per liter. This figure is proportional to the degree of salinity (Total Nitrogen), also measured in grams per liter. The protein amount is converted to salinity by dividing it by a factor of 6.25. For example, a bottle of fish sauce with a protein content of 125 grams per liter actually has only 20 degrees of salinity. The price of fish sauce depends on the level of genuine high nutritional value. Consumers often confuse these two parameters. If you buy a bottle of fish sauce with a protein content of 62.5 grams per liter, you might think you have a delicious fish sauce, but it's just an average-grade fish sauce because it actually has only 10 degrees of salinity.

In Vietnam, traditional fish sauce is processed and fermented for a considerable period (12 – 15 months, or even longer) from carefully tended natural ingredients, resulting in bottles of deliciously fragrant fish sauce. A bottle of good traditional fish sauce must ensure a color spectrum of straw yellow or the color of a centipede wing; when boiling, no impurities are visible in the light. Good fish sauce, when exposed to air for a few hours, will turn darker in color. Therefore, if you buy a bottle of fish sauce and leave it open for several days to a month, and the color remains unchanged, suspicions about preservative chemical additives may arise. Fish sauce bottles with colors ranging from yellow to straw yellow to centipede wing color meet safety and taste requirements. All these shades exude purity, brightness, and clarity. Among them, the reddish-brown color of centipede wings (amber color) is considered the pinnacle, formed from ricefish and processed using the compressed hinge method.

To accurately identify, you need to place the fish sauce bottle in front of a light source. However, with technological advancements, some chemically processed fish sauces can achieve brightness and clarity. Over time, their differences become apparent. For traditional fish sauce, the color will darken compared to the initial state. This is entirely natural. Low-quality fish sauce comes in various colors, from light yellow to dark brown-black. Specific differentiating features include: Pale-colored fish sauce is of low quality, mixed from a small amount of traditional fish sauce with salt, colorants, and flavor enhancers, providing neither a delicious fragrance nor safety for consumers' health. Fish sauce with sediment, cloudy appearance, or dark brown color...

Good fish sauce is fish sauce with high protein content. The higher the protein content, the higher the natural fish ingredient, and naturally, the better the quality and taste of the fish sauce. Premium fish sauces have protein content ranging from 30 – 45%. The packaging of fish sauce products must display the protein content. When shopping, if the packaging does not show the protein content, be cautious, as these fish sauces may be fake or of poor quality. Protein content is an indicator of fish sauce quality. Traditional fish sauce is hydrolyzed from fish, exposed to air for sunlight exposure, using naturally available digestive enzymes in fish guts to inhibit bacteria and convert meat protein into easily absorbable protein.

The natural protein content of pure fish sauce produced using traditional methods is between 30 – 40, sometimes reaching 43 – 45, although it is rare. High natural protein fish sauce typically has a reddish-brown centipede wing color, a thick consistency, and a rich flavor. According to Vietnamese standards for fish sauce (TCVN 5107:2003), there are four types based on protein content: Protein content greater than 30 No is a special type, protein content greater than 25 No is a premium type, protein content greater than 15 No is a grade 1 type, protein content greater than 10 No is a grade 2 type. Fish sauces with protein content from 50 – 60 typically involve technology, salt reduction, or industrial methods. These products are formulated from a portion of pure fish sauce, vegetable fermentation, usually hydrolyzed through various methods, and then flavored, mixed with artificial protein-rich solutions.

When choosing fish sauce, pay attention to the aroma and taste of different types. Good fish sauce will have a subtly characteristic fragrance, a harmonious salty-sweet taste, with sweetness gradually permeating the throat gently. In contrast, low-protein or artificially enhanced fish sauce tends to have a bitter salty taste, causing discomfort on the tongue. A gentle, fragrant smell with a sweet and mild taste settling in the throat is the sign of good fish sauce. The scent of fish sauce is the result of the natural fermentation of fish and salt for a minimum of 18 months. Its fragrance layers include the smell of ammonia, cheese, meat, fish, as well as burnt, pungent, rotten, and sweaty odors.

Meanwhile, the application of artificial fermentation technology, artificial enzymes acts as a catalyst speeding up the fish sauce hydrolysis process, reducing the fermentation time by more than half. The result is fish sauce with an intense aroma of forced fermentation. What about the taste? Traditional fish sauce has the characteristic of being rich, salty, starting at the tip of the tongue, then gradually spreading with a long-lasting aftertaste. For this excellence, the input source must be fresh anchovies. You can easily distinguish industrial fish sauce by tasting. Products containing flavor enhancers, MSG, and chemical sugars will reveal themselves with a sweet and bland taste right at the tip of the tongue, then transitioning to a mild sweetness. Not rich, not traditional fish sauce!