As a Vietnamese American, I marveled at the diverse cuisines that exist here in the SF Bay-Area. So did my peers. As chefs, we appreciate the nuances and flavors of almost every ingredient we were exposed to. Except for one ingredient, Fish Sauce. “Fish Sauce stinks!” my peers would complain. They couldn’t fathom the thought of consuming or using an ingredient that reeked of this abhorrent odor.
As the sons and daughters of immigrants , it is our responsibility to make sure that the traditions from our culture are accurately represented. It is refreshing, yet inspiring to see Danny Tran embrace this responsibility with passion to re-introduce Fish Sauce to Westerners.
In Vietnam we take fish sauce very seriously. Fish sauce is our identity. It is symbolic of our main resource of life: The ocean, fish and salt. That is reflected in the cuisine that we eat and our culture.
How could I blame them? There is no doubt that those brands of Fish Sauce stink. There has been a misrepresentation of what fish sauce is supposed to smell and taste like. Like MOST (not all) foreign products, they become Westernized when they are introduced to the Western world. Which can result in a diluted or bastardized version of the original, leaving the product open to be mocked; all in the name of profit.
I was able to confirm this during a pilgrimage to Vietnam in 2013:
“The Fish Sauce here doesn’t stink. It has a deep dark aroma of soy sauce.” ~Chef Tu David Phu
Determined to get some answers, I reached out to 4th generation owner of Son Fish Sauce, Danny Tran. “Passionate” falls short of defining the structural integrity Danny Tran has for his family’s craft. He feels that “Fish sauce is Vietnam’s identity. It’s the source of our cuisine and culture. The ocean, fish, and sea salt.”
Since 1951, a 4th Generation Family-Owned & Operated Son Fish Sauce Company.
Fish Sauce is infamous for smelling bad. What are your thoughts?
Commercial Fish Sauce is smelly. Not traditional Fish Sauce. Commercial Fish Sauce stinks because it uses anchovy extracts.
What is so bad about anchovy extract?
All extracts are commercial by-products. They are artificial flavors that do not necessarily use any ingredients directly from a source named for the extract but instead uses combinations of ingredients to arrive at a flavor. If there is any ingredient derived from that flavor, it is usually from scraps or waste. 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.
Most Fish Sauce in Western markets base their production on anchovy extract. Thus resulting in abhorrent, inferior product Westerners identify as ‘Fish Sauce’.
How is “traditional” Fish Sauce made?
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. Traditional Vietnamese Fish Sauce companies rate these different pressed levels by measuring the presence of protein (degrees of nitrogen) per liter reflected on the bottle as a number: 40*, 33*, 25*, etc. Western Commercial Fish Sauce quality is such a low number, it defeats the purpose of posting it. They usually scale 12*-14*.
[Available Online at Tumami Spices]
How do you feel about the current Fish Sauce in the Market?
“There are 3 types of fish sauce on the market:”
“Generic, Processed & Traditional.”
Generic:
“Anchovy Extract = Powdered Fish mix w/ water added, sugar, hydrolyzed wheat protein (msg), etc. “
Processed:
“Processed Fish Sauce but uses the lowest grade of natural fish. It’s the same traditional fermentation process but an extra step is added. Water is evaporated from the fish sauce to have higher fish protein ratings. Concentrating the sauce (oppose to using more fish for a higher protein rating) results in the product being viscous and robust.”
Traditional:
“Anchovy and Sea Salt that tastes balanced & fragrant (does not stink) with real depth in flavor. ”
Are there any techniques or recipes you would like to share with our readers?
“My product [Son Fish Sauce] is pure and considered the ‘extra virgin’ presses of fish sauce. I suggest you make slight adjustments when you apply my product to your recipes.”
For example:
Commercial Brands 12-14* – 1 Teaspoon
Son 25* – 0.5 Teaspoon
Son 33* – 0.4 Teaspoon
Son 40* – 0.3 Teaspoon
40*, 33*, 25*, etc. presence of fish protein in nitrogen degrees/liter.
“Outside of recipes, I appreciate it as a plain dipping condiment. I like to keep it simple since our fish sauce is so delicious and packed with umami. Sometimes I will pulverize Thai chili peppers into the sauce which makes it even more delicious! Alternatively, I would use our fish sauce as a medicinal and take a teaspoon of it to keep my body warm when my family & I dive for fish in the ocean.”
Suggestions and Techniques on Fish Sauce Basics from:
Chef Tu David Phu and Kathy Trieu of Loa.Fm
Basically, it boils down to this: Fish Sauce, like most products, become a mockery in the United States (things such as the taco, sushi, ramen, ect.) As the new generation of craftsmen/women, it is our responsibility to make sure that the traditions from our culture are accurately represented. It is refreshing, yet inspiring to see Danny Tran embrace this responsibility with passion to re-introduce Fish Sauce to Westerners.
“My Fish Sauce is the Real Deal. Commercial Fish Sauce around the world is not traditionally made. In Vietnam we take fish sauce very seriously. Fish sauce is our identity. It is symbolic of our main resource of life: The ocean, fish and salt. That is reflected in the cuisine that we eat and our culture.”
“We [Son Fish Sauce] are the only one selling authentic Fish Sauce. Our company provides a range of fish sauce grades for our product; Outside of Vietnam, no one else is doing this. I want people to know what real Fish Sauce is and that’s our product. My family is adamant that our product will teach our customers about Vietnamese heritage and culture that is defined by authentic tradition and the highest level of craftsmanship.”
Thanks to Danny Tran, people are taking a second look at Vietnam and fish sauce. Like most cultures, Vietnam has complexities in its traditions. It just requires someone to accurately represent it.