How to Make Vietnamese Fish Sauce

The Vietnamese use fish sauce to flavor their foods the same way Americans use table salt; it pretty much goes with everything. The making of the raw Vietnamese fish sauce (Nuoc Mam) involves collecting the dripped liquid off of fermenting fresh anchovy fish. When the fish are placed in a barrel, the liquid drops to the bottom. That liquid is removed and poured back into the top of the barrel. After about 6 months, this makes a strong, salty liquid that is bottled and used to flavor other Vietnamese dishes. Miraculously, the fishy smell dissipates when the sauce is combined with other ingredients. Read on for a recipe to make the traditional Vietnamese fish sauce that's used for cooking and dipping seafood.