How to Use Fish Sauce

Content and recipes provided by Thai Kitchen

Fish sauce is the secret ingredient for an essential savory flavor in traditional Thai cuisine. It is considered the soy sauce of Southeast Asia and is gluten-free. Fish sauce is a thin, amber-tinted, clear liquid with a salty taste.

A high quality fish sauce should have a dark amber color and should be clear, free from cloudiness. It should have a strong flavor to add a fermented and savory taste to recipes. Fish sauce should have a pungent, fishy aroma that is oceanic and salty, not rotten. The highest quality fish sauce is always from the first-press, when no water is added.

Fish sauce is used to give food a distinct, authentic Thai flavor. It is used to replace salt and soy sauce to season stir-fry dishes for more a complex sauce. It is also used as a dipping sauce or as a light salad dressing.

5 Gluten-Free Recipes Using Fish Sauce:

1. Thai Beef Salad (Yam Neau)
A healthy way to serve up steak.

2. Spicy Cucumber Salad
Bell pepper, red onion and fresh cilantro give this salad a fresh and bright flavor.

3. Shrimp & Papaya Salad (Som Tom Goong)
Fish sauce complements the sweet flavor of papaya in this summer salad.

4. Sweet & Sour Pineapple Chicken
Take on takeout with this simple gluten-free recipe.

5. Roasted Eggplant with Tofu and Basil
A meat-free gluten-free dish that's packed with protein and Thai flavors.