Fish sauce
A clear, amber seasoning sauce made from salted, fermented fish, in Korea usually anchovies; very salty and deeply savoury.
Fish sauce is sold in Asian grocers and now on the Asian shelf of many supermarkets, usually in its Thai or Vietnamese form. Korean anchovy fish sauce, often used for kimchi, is found in Korean shops or by mail order.
Substitute:
Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce can be used one for one; it tastes slightly different but works well. There is no true fish-free substitute: light soy sauce with a pinch of salt provides salt and some savouriness, but not the fermented fish note.
Used in
Chonggak KimchiYoung ponytail radishes with their greens, crisp and boldly spiced3,5 hGyeranjjimKorean steamed eggs, cloud-soft, with fish sauce and kombu stock30 minMusaengchaeKorean radish salad: crisp matchsticks, sweet-sour and bright red with gochugaru45 minOi MuchimKorean cucumber salad with gochugaru, garlic and sesame – ready in 25 minutes25 min