Fish Sauce

[craigt3365]

In the U.S., some crappy Thai and Vietnamese places that cater to non- Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish sauce. Without the fish sauce, the flavor is TOTALLY WRONG. But there is such a thing as too much fish sauce, similar to too salty in any cuisine.

I realize some people just hate the flavor of fish sauce but it's vital in Thai cooking, so if you don't like fish sauce, you don't like real Thai food.

Fish sauce is extremely high in sodium. Absolutely and incredibly unhealthy. It should be avoided at all costs. Especially if you are older.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2010/04/08/2867126.htm

You need to avoid salt because it causes high blood pressure or hypertension, which the World Health Organization blames for 62 per cent of strokes and 49 per cent of coronary heart disease.

In fact, the amount of salt you eat is probably the most significant factor in raising your blood pressure, says Professor Bruce Neal, chair of the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health.

"It [high salt consumption] will increase your risk of anything associated with blood pressure. It will increase your risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and chronic kidney disease – mostly vascular things," Neal says.

One tablespoon gives you 50% of your daily value for sodium. Unfortunately, the same can be said for soy sauce.

My wife doesn't cook for me with fish sauce. Nor sugar. There are healthy alternatives for both.

Tablespoon???? I don't think I use a tablespoon of salt in a week, let alone a day

1500 mg of sodium equals about 0.75 teaspoons or 3.75 grams of salt per day, while 2300 mg equals about one teaspoon and 6 grams of salt per day.........most food is naturally salty. But I can't resist putng it on French Fries............Nam Pla and Nouc Mam gives my food all the alt I need or want.

I've seen Thai's put almost a table spoon in a bowl of noodle soup! I love it on some dishes, but for some, who are on low sodium diets, it's just not a good thing to do. Unfortunately!

[csabo]

If she loves it that much you should be soaking your nuts in it. Mmmmmm Ham Nam Plah

Edited September 27, 2015 by csabo

[smotherb]

Have you not tried to explain to the wife that you don't like fish sauce and have her cook for you without it? You know, unless you have a total moron, she could learn to cook your favorite Western foods.

[Jaggg88]

In the U.S., some crappy Thai and Vietnamese places that cater to non- Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish sauce. Without the fish sauce, the flavor is TOTALLY WRONG. But there is such a thing as too much fish sauce, similar to too salty in any cuisine.

I realize some people just hate the flavor of fish sauce but it's vital in Thai cooking, so if you don't like fish sauce, you don't like real Thai food.

Fish sauce is extremely high in sodium. Absolutely and incredibly unhealthy. It should be avoided at all costs. Especially if you are older.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2010/04/08/2867126.htm

You need to avoid salt because it causes high blood pressure or hypertension, which the World Health Organization blames for 62 per cent of strokes and 49 per cent of coronary heart disease.

In fact, the amount of salt you eat is probably the most significant factor in raising your blood pressure, says Professor Bruce Neal, chair of the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health.

"It [high salt consumption] will increase your risk of anything associated with blood pressure. It will increase your risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and chronic kidney disease – mostly vascular things," Neal says.

One tablespoon gives you 50% of your daily value for sodium. Unfortunately, the same can be said for soy sauce.

My wife doesn't cook for me with fish sauce. Nor sugar. There are healthy alternatives for both.

The fish sauce is used for flavour but makes the food bitter so they use palm sugar to balance the taste, and add to this a portion of processed white rice to give you a totally unhealthy meal.

[minikev]

It's good for releasing rusty bolts!

[thaipo7]

I am hooked on the fish sauce. I use it as an alternative to salt. My wife prepares the fish sauce by combining it with crushed garlic, lemon and thinly sliced chilis. I can't even eat a good steak anymore without putting this on top. Also into the spicy foods. I don't want anything to do with Bpla Rah though. Have a funny story on this. Once when returning to the US and going through Customs they X-rayed the luggage. My wife brought back a couple of the bamboo sticks filled with rice and beans. The guy on the X-ray machine called me over and these bamboo sticks looked like Bazooka parts. He said you know we have to look into your luggage. My wife also had a container of Bpla Rah in the same suitcase. We had to open on end of the bamboo to show that there was rice inside. Then he spotted the container of the Bpla Rah. He started to open it and I warned him that this is really foul smelling and it would be best to not open. He would not listen, took out the container and walk about 10 feet away, took off the top and took a big sniff. His next 2 words were, "Officer Down" and other Customs officials ran over to him. It was so funny. He put the lid back on, put it in the suitcase and told us to get out of here. lol

[Crazy chef 1]

The purpose is to increase saltiness, but I rarely find myself adding fish sauce to a meal unless it's absolutely tasteless. If you really don't like it, just tell them not to add "nam prah". End of story.

...and let them know you prefer Pla Ra...

[GAZZPA]

fish sauce is a seasoning, it is used in the same way we use salt. you should not really be able to taste the fish sauce itself but without it thai food would taste like it has no seasoning at all.. same principle applies to shrimp paste, open a jar and smell it and its foul but dont put it your curry pastes and they are missing a lot of flavour.

but you can use too much and ruin the food the same way if you put too much salt in anything, it becomes inedible.

but fish sauce is often used with other ingredients such as lime and palm sugar which balances the flavour,, actually i think thai cooking is pretty clever as they combine such diverse ingredients and can create really good food,,

so message is use less.

by the way fish sauce on a fried breakfast is just wrong on every level,,

[SoiBiker]

In the U.S., some crappy Thai and Vietnamese places that cater to non- Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish sauce. Without the fish sauce, the flavor is TOTALLY WRONG. But there is such a thing as too much fish sauce, similar to too salty in any cuisine.

I realize some people just hate the flavor of fish sauce but it's vital in Thai cooking, so if you don't like fish sauce, you don't like real Thai food.

Fish sauce is extremely high in sodium. Absolutely and incredibly unhealthy. It should be avoided at all costs. Especially if you are older.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2010/04/08/2867126.htm

You need to avoid salt because it causes high blood pressure or hypertension, which the World Health Organization blames for 62 per cent of strokes and 49 per cent of coronary heart disease.

In fact, the amount of salt you eat is probably the most significant factor in raising your blood pressure, says Professor Bruce Neal, chair of the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health.

"It [high salt consumption] will increase your risk of anything associated with blood pressure. It will increase your risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and chronic kidney disease mostly vascular things," Neal says.

One tablespoon gives you 50% of your daily value for sodium. Unfortunately, the same can be said for soy sauce.

My wife doesn't cook for me with fish sauce. Nor sugar. There are healthy alternatives for both.

Tablespoon???? I don't think I use a tablespoon of salt in a week, let alone a day

1500 mg of sodium equals about 0.75 teaspoons or 3.75 grams of salt per day, while 2300 mg equals about one teaspoon and 6 grams of salt per day.........most food is naturally salty. But I can't resist putng it on French Fries............Nam Pla and Nouc Mam gives my food all the alt I need or want.

I've seen Thai's put almost a table spoon in a bowl of noodle soup! I love it on some dishes, but for some, who are on low sodium diets, it's just not a good thing to do. Unfortunately!

That was probably sugar you saw them put in their soup, not salt.

[thehelmsman]

So, I believe a post was made concerning a tablespoon of fishsauce containing xxx% sodium, not a tablespoon of salt. Anyway.....carry on.

[kerrysum]

I have never had a problem with it and some do... Have had the opportunity to make it from scratch. Maybe you need to change your girlfriend. Where is she from by the way?

[kerrysum]

In the U.S., some crappy Thai and Vietnamese places that cater to non- Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish sauce. Without the fish sauce, the flavor is TOTALLY WRONG. But there is such a thing as too much fish sauce, similar to too salty in any cuisine.

I realize some people just hate the flavor of fish sauce but it's vital in Thai cooking, so if you don't like fish sauce, you don't like real Thai food.

I think it depends on where you have lived in Thailand. Every part of Thailand has a different cuisine, I just happen to like Issan. So what is one to say? I know it makes the Son-Tam taste so good. But that varies from where each Thai is from. Any questions? Some Thais know how to cook and others do not. What can I say?

[slick1]

g,day all,im sorry but i was under the impression that the way the fish sauce is made that it still keeps the parsites alive,the ones that you get your liver fluke from and also turn into cancer..hey i could be wrong.thought i seen a thread on here a way back about it?but im sure its related somehow..also am going off half cocked as i only remember bits and pieces.i couldnt give a rats arse what anyone eats..just seem my girlfriends mum die,stomach cancer,liver gave up,sugar diabetes....took over 5 yrs..i met a young thai doctor on 1 of my visits to her in hospital,he was saying about the fish as well..still studying it..anyway thats my 2 bobs worth..i dont eat it...well im sure its in some/most of the tukka i eat over there,but i tell my girlfriend..no thanks..

.

[Naam]

In the U.S., some crappy Thai and Vietnamese places that cater to non- Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish sauce. Without the fish sauce, the flavor is TOTALLY WRONG. But there is such a thing as too much fish sauce, similar to too salty in any cuisine.

I realize some people just hate the flavor of fish sauce but it's vital in Thai cooking, so if you don't like fish sauce, you don't like real Thai food.

Fish sauce is extremely high in sodium. Absolutely and incredibly unhealthy. It should be avoided at all costs. Especially if you are older.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2010/04/08/2867126.htm

You need to avoid salt because it causes high blood pressure or hypertension, which the World Health Organization blames for 62 per cent of strokes and 49 per cent of coronary heart disease.

In fact, the amount of salt you eat is probably the most significant factor in raising your blood pressure, says Professor Bruce Neal, chair of the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health.

"It [high salt consumption] will increase your risk of anything associated with blood pressure. It will increase your risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and chronic kidney disease – mostly vascular things," Neal says.

One tablespoon gives you 50% of your daily value for sodium. Unfortunately, the same can be said for soy sauce.

My wife doesn't cook for me with fish sauce. Nor sugar. There are healthy alternatives for both.

the healthy alternatives don't have the delicious taste of good nam pla

[BadBouy]

Just add more sugar and get the sweet then salty thing going!

[elgenon]

Prik nam pla is the way to go!

[craigt3365]

That was probably sugar you saw them put in their soup, not salt.

Definitely fish sauce. It comes in that holder with 4 glass dishes. Vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and chili powder. My wife, at times, puts in all 4 to get the taste just right.

[Josh88]

fish sauce is a seasoning, it is used in the same way we use salt. you should not really be able to taste the fish sauce itself but without it thai food would taste like it has no seasoning at all.. same principle applies to shrimp paste, open a jar and smell it and its foul but dont put it your curry pastes and they are missing a lot of flavour.

but you can use too much and ruin the food the same way if you put too much salt in anything, it becomes inedible.

but fish sauce is often used with other ingredients such as lime and palm sugar which balances the flavour,, actually i think thai cooking is pretty clever as they combine such diverse ingredients and can create really good food,,

so message is use less.

by the way fish sauce on a fried breakfast is just wrong on every level,,

If food tastes like it has no seasoning at all with fish sauce omitted then it's severely lacking in seasoning to begin with. As you said, it should be used as a substitute for salt, not as the primary source of flavor when seasoning. It should not be lathered on food any more than salt should be spooned on to western dishes.

Personally I can't stand the flavor of it. My girlfriend substitutes fish sauce for salt when cooking Thai dishes for me, and the food tastes great. Yes, it makes it inauthentic, but there are plenty of other combinations of seasonings in Thai food that provide flavor to a dish without having to rely on fish sauce, it certainly isn't bland.

[maidee]

funny comment about iodine to salt

you would have to eat so much per day, that it would kill your blood pressure

they sell iodine in concentrate solution

iodine defiency is one of the problems thai kids are dumber than others ...

and it is barely in fish sauce

add to that, the addiction to sugar & msg ... it is surprisinly a big cause of VIOLENCE as it is like diabetes for the brain