If there is one thing that could elevate the flavor of your dishes and give them a funky twist, it’s nothing but some fish sauce. But you need to find a good fish sauce substitute when you are out of it.
As its name suggests, fish sauce is a fermented sauce made from fish. It has a bright salty, umami flavor. If you plan to make Vietnamese or Chinese cuisine, you may need a bottle of fish sauce, but if you do not have it, find a good fish sauce substitute.
If fish sauce is something you are used to, it will be easy to find a good fish sauce substitute. That’s why we have done the groundwork for you. Soya sauce, oyster sauce, tamarin, and seaweed are some of the best fish sauce substitutes you can try!
Fish sauce has so many flavors to offer! All you need to do is open your arms and embrace the beauty of this ingredient. If you are new to this ingredient, let me take the opportunity to introduce you to the main ingredient of this article – fish sauce.
Quick Peek: Fish Sauce
Fish sauce, as its name suggests, is made from fish. But if you want to know a little bit more about fish sauce, like its uses and health benefits, give this section a thorough read.
What Is A Fish Sauce?
Fish sauce is made from fish by a fermentation process. Small fishes like anchovies are covered in salt and are left for fermentation. The fermentation process could take anywhere between 2 months to a year.
Usually, fish with high oil content are used for making this sauce. Fish, salt, and water are the main ingredients for this sauce. But sometimes sugar or molasses is also added to this mixture.
People across many cultures have used this. However, at present, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Thai cuisines are some of the dominant places which use fish sauces as one of the main ingredients.
Even though we now associate fish sauce with Asian cuisines, fish sauce has a long history to trace. It is believed that the ancient Greeks were the first to use fish sauce, and it was known as garum.
Describing Fish Sauce: Flavor and Texture
Fish sauce has a very vibrant flavor and texture to it. It is liquid and has a reddish-golden color to it. Fish sauce has a salty, umami flavor with a hint of sweetness covered with a funky fishiness.
However, when used in the right way, fish sauce brings fishiness to your food. It positively elevates the salty, umami flavor of your food. Fish sauce is often combined with lime juice to balance the flavor and aroma.
Uses Of Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is primarily used for flavoring dishes. It brings a sweet, salty, and umami flavor to all the recipes it is added to. It is usually added along with lemon juice to balance its flavor and aroma.
Fish sauce is something commonly used in Thailand. If you have ever been to Thailand, you can see fish sauces on almost all the dining tables. It can be casually added to almost all recipes that need a hint of salty flavor.
Fish sauce, regardless of being non-vegan, could be sparingly used in veggies, soups, noodles, and many other dishes. Just a dash of fish sauce is all you need to brighten up all your dishes.
Fish Sauce On The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope
Fish sauce is not just a healthy condiment. It has a lot of health benefits. In this section, we are going to look into some of the known health benefits of fish sauce.
- High in vitamins: Fish sauce has a high amount of vitamins. It contains vitamins B 1, B2, and B 12. All these vitamins are known to help with a healthier nervous system as well as cell regeneration.
- Helps to fight anemia: Fish sauce has a high amount of iron content in it. Iron is essential for better body functioning and hemoglobin production. Thus, if you have a low hemoglobin count, including fish sauce in your diet is advisable.
- Rich sources of omega 3: Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for our body. It benefits our bodies in many ways. It helps keep our heart and our nervous system extremely healthy. It also contains good fat, which is essential for our bodies.
- High source of protein: Fish sauce has a high protein content. It helps in body strengthening and helps to keep the body warm.
Why Use A Substitute For Fish Sauce?
Now that you have read about fish sauce and its benefits, you must doubt whether to continue your quest for a good fish sauce substitute. Well, let me remind you life can be fishy sometimes, and thus knowing a good fish sauce substitute can be extremely handy.
Fish sauce, as we have discussed, mainly belongs to East Asian Cuisine. Thus, randomly finding some fish sauce in your regular supermarkets can be hard. Thus, if you plan to cook some Asian cuisine, either stock up on some fish sauce or use a suitable substitute.
Secondly, you might be one of many who prefer something else to the taste and aroma of fish sauce. The taste of the fish sauce is manageable, but its aroma is only for some. Thus if you can’t handle either taste or the aroma of fish sauce, try one fish sauce substitute.
Fish sauce is a little bit expensive. Thus if you are not planning to make Asian cuisines now and again, buying a big bottle could be a little waste of money. Therefore, if you could, manage it with a fish sauce substitute.
9 Best Fish Sauce Substitutes
1. Soy Sauce
Soy sauce has a rich umami flavor similar to fish sauce. It can be easily substituted for most dishes that use fish sauce. Thus you can use soy sauce as a fish sauce substitute.
As its name suggests, soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans, water, and wheat. It is completely plant-based and easily brings an umami flavor to the recipe. Thus, if you are a vegan, soy sauce is the best fish sauce alternative.
Soy sauce can be used as a fish sauce substitute following the 1:1 ratio. However, if you want some hints of fish, you can mix soy sauce with minced anchovies and use it to bring flavor to your recipes.
2. Tamari
Tamari is another kind of soy sauce. It has a richer texture than the original soy sauce. It brings a salty umami flavor to the recipe, similar to the fish sauce. Thus, tamari sauce can be used as a fish sauce substitute.
Even though tamari is made from fermented soybeans, it doesn’t use any wheat. Tamari uses some other ingredients like miso paste, moromi, and koji. Therefore if you are looking for a vegan, gluten-free fish sauce substitute, try tamari.
Tamari has a slightly thicker texture than normal soy sauce. It can be added to dishes or used as a dipping sauce. Add some minced anchovies to the sauce if you like the fishy taste. While using it as a fish sauce substitute, follow the 1:1 ratio.
3. Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is made from oysters. It has a slightly sweet taste with a hint of sweetness. It brings a similar flavor to fish sauce and can be ideally used as a fish sauce substitute.
Oyster sauce has a thicker consistency when compared to that fish sauce. Therefore while replacing it, add some water and lighten its consistency. Even though oysters are made from oysters, they don’t have any stinky smell.
Oyster sauce, when used as a fish sauce substitute, follows the 1:1 ratio. However, try to buy oyster sauce from some good brands. The low-quality oyster sauce will have a caramelized sweet flavor which is not similar to fish sauce.
4. Vegan Fish Sauce
Nowadays, many brands are coming up with vegan fish sauces. It tastes similar to that of fish sauce in every aspect. If you cannot get your hands on the original fish sauce, use a vegan fish sauce as a fish sauce substitute.
Vegan fish sauce is mostly made from mushrooms, soya sauce, and liquid aminos extracted from coconut sap. It can be used in a 1:1 ratio when used as a fish sauce substitute. You can easily find vegan fish sauce in supermarkets or online stores.
5. Seaweed
Seaweed is another popular fish sauce substitute. It has a salty briny flavor and very well compliments most dishes that use fish sauce as one of its ingredients.
Seaweed doesn’t have any fishy taste to it. It is a little chewy and perfectly adds an umami flavor to the dishes. It is a common ingredient in many Japanese cuisines. It also has high nutritional values to it.
You can either use fresh or dry seaweed as a fish sauce substitute. However, seaweed has a stronger umami flavor than that regular fish sauce. While adding, make sure to add little by little and do a taste test in between.
6. Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce will be one of the easily available fish sauce substitutes if you reside in the US or UK. It has a very vibrant flavor profile and brings an umami flavor to most dishes.
Worcestershire sauce uses anchovies as one of its main ingredients. Worcestershire uses tamarind, molasses, cloves, and onions other than anchovies. It brings in a very fresh umami flavor along with some sweetness.
While using Worcestershire sauce as a fish sauce substitute, follow the 1:1 ratio.
7. Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos taste very much similar to soy sauce. It is made from coconut sap. It has an umami flavor and hence can be used as a fish sauce substitute. It also has high nutritional values.
If you are a vegan or have a soy allergy or wheat allergy, then these coconut aminos can be used as a fish sauce substitute. It can be replaced with fish sauce in a 1:1 ratio.
8. Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is made from soybean. Hoisin sauce has a distinctive flavor and brings a sweet, salty, and umami flavor to the dishes. Thus in need, use hoisin sauce as a fish sauce substitute.
Hoisin sauce has a thicker consistency to it. It is also sweeter than regular fish sauce. When replacing hoisin sauce with fish sauce, make sure to add some water to dilute the consistency as well as the sugar content in the sauce.
Mix hoisin sauce with fish sauce for the best flavor profile, and follow the 1:1 ratio.
9. Fish Broth
If you are a fish lover and cannot find fish sauce, try fish broth. It brings a fishy taste and aroma to your dish and can often be used as a fish sauce substitute.
Fish broth is lighter in consistency than that fish sauce. If you are cooking where consistency doesn’t matter, add fish broth. But if you need a thicker consistency, cook the fish broth with some corn flour and thicken the texture.
Short Recap Of Fish Sauce Substitutes
Now that we have covered a number of fish sauce substitutes, you must be confused regarding what to use. Or you might be in a little hurry and need to look to choose the most suitable one quickly. Whatever the case, I’m here to help!
Most Suited Fish Sauce Substitutes
- Soy Sauce
- Tamari Sauce
Vegan Fish Sauce Substitutes
- Coconut Aminos
- Vegan Fish Sauce
Gluten-free fish Sauce Substitutes
- Tamari Sauce
- Seaweed
How To Use Fish Sauce Substitutes In Recipes
9 Best Fish Sauce Substitutes You Should Try!
Ingredients
- Soy Sauce
- Tamari
- Oyster Sauce
- Vegan Fish Sauce
- Seaweed
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Coconut Aminos
- Hoisin Sauce
- Fish Broth
Instructions
- Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
- Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
- Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.
Conclusion
Now that we have reached the end of the article, I hope you have found your fish sauce substitute. Most substitutes discussed here have a salty umami flavor and match the flavor profile to fish sauce.
If you are vegan, gluten allergic, or hate fish, choose the substitute accordingly. However, fish sauce is unique in its own nature, and whenever you can, grab a bottle of this and enjoy it!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What can I use instead of fish sauce in a recipe?
Soya sauce, oyster sauce, tamarin, and seaweed are some of the best fish sauces substitutes you can try!
Can I use Worcestershire sauce instead of fish sauce?
Yes. Worcestershire sauce works well as a fish sauce substitute.
Can I use vinegar instead of fish sauce?
No. Vinegar has a strong tangy flavor and won’t work as a fish sauce substitute.
What is fish sauce made out of?
Fish sauce is made from fish by a fermentation process. Small fishes like anchovies are covered in salt and are left for fermentation. The fermentation process could take anywhere between 2 months to a year.
Is Tamari the same as fish sauce?
No. Tamari and fish sauce are two different condiments.
Is soy sauce fish sauce?
No. Soy sauce is made from fermented soybean whereas fish sauce is made from fermented fish.
