| a spicy sauce made from the fermented liquid of salt-cured fish, esp. anchovies, popular as a flavoring or condiment in Southeast Asian cookery. |
| fish sauce n. See nuoc mam. |
nuoc mam  (nwôk' mäm')  n. A pungent, salty liquid made from fermented anchovies or other fish, used as a seasoning and condiment in Southeast Asian cuisine. Also called fish sauce. [Vietnamese nuóc mám, pickling brine, fish sauce : nuóc, water + mám, salted fish.] |
fish sauce
in Southeast Asian cookery, a liquid seasoning prepared by fermenting freshwater or saltwater fish with salt in large vats. After a few months time, the resulting brownish, protein-rich liquid is drawn off and bottled. It is sometimes allowed to mature in the sun in glass or earthenware bottles before use. Called nam pla in Thailand, nuoc nam in Vietnam, patis in the Philippines, tuk trey in Cambodia, ngan-pya-ye in Myanmar (Burma), and ketjap ikan in Indonesia, fish sauce is as ubiquitious as soy sauce in the region, being especially important in Thailand and Vietnam. The oyster sauce of Chinese cookery is a similar preparation, used especially in Cantonese dishes
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