Good news: there aren't a whole bunch of different types of fish sauce to choose from, unlike soy sauce where dark soy, light soy, sweet soy sauces and more can trip you up. There is mainly just one type (yes, "mainly." See which to avoid below).

By reading books about protagonists who have overcome challenges, we are oftentimes encouraged to do the same. The right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive, regardless of whether it’s a romance novel or a self-help book. Five stars. Five stars. Five stars. This is a beautifully warm and welcoming family cookbook filled with good food. One of the best American cookbooks I've seen in a while. If you don't consume animal products or you're allergic to fish, there are a few options. You can substitute soy sauce using a 1:1 ratio. However, if the fish sauce is the only seasoning and it's the main flavor, I do a combination of soy sauce and Golden Mountain Seasoning or Maggi Seasoning, just to give it a little more of a sharper flavour that seems to mimic fish sauce better. The traditionally crafted fish sauce is matured in wooden barrels for one year. Grade N is an industry standard that indicates the protein content and quality of fish sauce. Commercially available fish sauces are usually less than 20° N. Red Boat is 40° N. I saw what he meant when we pulled into a narrow driveway, that didn’t look like it would lead to much from the street. The streets in Vietnam seem to be a jumble of everything, with different kinds of shops and restaurants, and other kinds of businesses, all mixed together. I was amazed at what kinds of businesses I randomly came across just walking around or passing on our motor scooter.Anyone who knows the importance of fish sauce in their Vietnamese and Thai dishes, will want a copy of this book. Highly recommended. One of the secrets to their fish sauce, which is why it isn’t as “fishy” as other fish sauces, is that the anchovies are salted on the boat, right after they’re caught, so they stay fresh. Other fish sauce makers may salt the fish a few days later, when the fish are not exactly at their prime. And we all know that fresh fish doesn’t get any better the longer it sits. Note: Sometimes the label will list anchovy extract rather than anchovies. This does not mean they’re using artificial anchovy extracts or any such thing, but some brands use the word "extract" because there aren’t any actual fish in the bottle, only the liquid that had been extracted from the fish. In the same way that oyster sauce contains “oyster extracts” because the oyster bodies aren’t in the bottle. 2. Choose a higher protein content. My husband and I LOVE going to the Vietnamese restaurants in St. Paul, MN and have been fans of the cuisine since the early 1980’s, so a cookbook of beloved recipes was of great interest to me. As with anyone, we have certain likes and dislikes. I must confess that neither of us cares for pork belly as we have had it as presented by various restaurants, but do like many of the other ingredients that I saw in recipes in this cookbook. If you are need a soy-free and gluten-free option, coconut aminos might be a good substitute though I have not personally tried it. Want to Keep Learning About Thai Ingredients?

But, I wish the book was organized a little more comprehensively. I also would have liked to see more variation in the dessert and drink offerings. While exploring this cookbook, I tested the recipe for Pasta Marinara with Herbed Bread Crumbs which was phenomenal. The extra dose of umami really makes a difference! Another day, I tested the recipe for Broccolini with Very Delicious Garlic Sauce. I needed a “very delicious” vegetable to go with our Asian-inspired dinner so this was perfect. I didn’t have broccolini so I paired it with fresh blanched green beans and OH MY LORD were they good. The green beans were the first to go so I could only photograph my small portion. I plan to test many, many more of these recipes. Price is just a general rule of thumb though, and should not be used as the only indicator (I've seen some ridiculous pricing on fancy-looking fish sauce with a bunch of additives!). But once you've already considered the two points above, price can be used as a tiebreaker.

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It does contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein which is a flavour enhancer, not unlike MSG, so it breaks my "simple ingredient list" rule. But it still tastes good so I make an exception for it.

Megachef is fermented for 2 years, which I believe is longer than many others. The saltiness feels a little less jarring than Squid, so this is a good choice if you want to use it as a tableside condiment.

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Also as the fish sauce ages, the color gets progressively deeper. Interesting, Cuong had a plate of mango slices alongside the bowls of sauce. In addition to being amazing mangoes – the fruit in Vietnam was pretty phenomenal – mangoes are the perfect palate cleanser for the salty sauce. Who knew? Fish sauce won't "spoil" however, because there's so much salt in there, no bacteria can grow; it just won't taste good if it's "old".