Type | condiment, ingredient |
---|---|
Place of origin | Vietnam |
Main ingredients | Anchovy, salt |
Phu Quoc fish sauce is a variety of fish sauce in Vietnamese cuisine made from fermented black anchovies. It is produced in Phu Quoc island in southwest Vietnam and the 21 islets surrounding it. Traditional production dates back centuries.
Since 2001, the Industrial Property Department of the government of Vietnam has the name "Phu Quoc Fish Sauce" as a trademark, and only registered manufacturers are allowed to use the name in Vietnam. In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, the first Southeast Asian food to be recognized.
The concept of dac san ("specialty"), similar to that of the French concept of terroir, has been recognized in Vietnam for centuries: that certain areas, because of their climate, geography, available raw ingredients, and human inputs such as production method, produce foods and beverages that are recognizably different from and/or superior to those made in other places. [1] According to Cuong Pham, the crucial factors for producing Pho Quoc fish sauce are the locally-fished black anchovy, the salting process, and the humid climate of the area. [2] : 20 Other Vietnames dac san products include Buon Ma Thuot coffee, Hải Dương mung beans, Lý Sơn garlic, Ninh Thuân grapes, and Thai Nguyen tea. [1]
Traditional Phu Quoc fish sauce has been made solely out of fermented black anchovies, also known as ca com anchovies, salt, and water for "centuries". [3] The waters around the islands are rich in seaweed and plankton which provide food for the anchovy population. However, it is only since the late 1950s that the product has been recognized outside of its home island, reaching its zenith of popularity between 1965 and 1975. With increasing government subsidies of many industries in the period from 1975 to 1985, the local fish sauce craft lost market share to larger competitors, but later the popularity of the Phu Quoc-produced traditional product rebounded.
As of 2021 Phu Quoc fish sauce production was expected to average 12 million liters/year. [4]
The making of fish sauce in Vietnam dates back centuries. The sauce was traditionally made at home with anchovies which were too small to use in cooking, often by fishermen's or fishmongers' wives and daughters as a way to use less-salable portions of a day's catch. [5]
The traditional method uses salt that has been stored for at least two years to enhance its taste, then packed with the anchovies and salt in a ratio of one part salt to three parts anchovies (in areas with climates different than that of Phu Quoc, the ratio might be 4:1) into wooden barrels or clay jars with a tap at the bottom. They are allowed to ferment for a year or more in the sun, with liquid removed from the bottom through the tap and poured back over the top every day to filter through again, ensuring an even distribution of ingredients. [5] After the fermentation is complete, the contents of the barrels are pressed, drained through the tap, and filtered into jars. The first pressing is known as nuoc mam nhi; according to producer Cuong Pham, this first pressing often is not sold but is kept by the producer for their own use and to gift to family and friends. [2] : 17
Traditionally small family producers kept the initial press for their own use and sold the later presses. [1]
Phu Quoc fish sauce is made from anchovies that have been fermented in brine in large barrels measuring 1.5 to 3 metres (4.9 to 9.8 ft) in diameter and 2 to 4 metres (6.6 to 13.1 ft) in height, containing 7 to 13 tons of product. The barrels are made from braided rattan from the local mountains, and can be used for up to 60 years; as the barrels age they produce better sauce. [4]
Traditionally and since 2012 by law, Phu Quoc sauce is made exclusively from anchovies harvested from waters surrounding the island. During the fishing season (which extends from July to December), fishermen harvest anchovies by net, removing the anchovies from among other fish and items in the nets, and immediately salting them on board, combining them with salt at a 3:1 ratio, then transporting them to the docks where they are placed into the barrels. [3]
Barrels are fermented for six to twelve months before bottling; longer fermentation mellows the flavor and produces a higher-quality sauce. [6] Barrels are drained to form the first press, which is used to make the highest-quality sauce. [6] Artisanal products typically use only the first pressing, and the products contain only anchovy and salt. [6] [3]
Large-scale producers add salt and water to the drained barrels and drain them a second and third time. [3] [6] Many commercial producers typically add flavor enhancers, thickeners, preservatives, and coloring to these later pressings. [3]
Phu Quoc fish sauce is differentiated by its color, which in traditionally-made products is due entirely to the ingredients and barrels rather than coloring agents. Higher-quality sauces have a reddish cast from amber to deep caramel. [3] [7] Phu Quoc fish sauce is generally lighter and sweeter than other fish sauces. [8]
The highest quality sauces have a high nitrogen grade (°N), which represents grams of nitrogen per liter, or the ratio of protein to liquid in the sauce; 30°N is a high-quality grade and 40°N is a premium grade. [3] [9] [10] According to America's Test Kitchen , a higher protein ratio mellows the saltiness. [9] Many commercial varieties have a grade in the mid-twenties. [3]
According to Saveur, "what Provence is to rosé, Phú Quốc is to [ fish sauce]". [3] According to Epicurious, Phu Quoc "is considered to be...some of the world's highest quality fish sauce". [8]
According to The Atlantic, Phu Quoc fish sauce is one of Vietnam's few dac san, or specialty product, branding successes. [1]
Since 2001, the Industrial Property Department of the government of Vietnam has the name "Phu Quoc Fish Sauce" as a trademark, and only registered manufacturers are allowed to use the name in Vietnam. [11]
In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin status, which means only products produced in the islands can be labeled as Phu Quoc fish sauce. [6] [3] It was the first food from Southeast Asia to receive the PDO status. [1]
In 2021, Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised the traditional making of Phu Quoc fish sauce as a national intangible cultural heritage [4]
Phu Quoc fish sauce production is threatened by the declining anchovy population caused by overfishing and other environmental degradation.
Lesser-quality products used the name prior to the establishment of the trademark protection and PDO status. Trademark protection has been denied in some foreign countries due to overuse of the term by other manufacturers prior to the Phu Quoc producers' efforts to obtain trademark protection.
After the 2012 PDO status, counterfeiting became common. [8] According to Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association chairwoman Nguyen Thi Tinh speaking in 2014, eighty percent of fish sauce labeled “Phu Quoc" was counterfeit. [8] [12] Counterfeit fish sauces can be made and sold more cheaply. [12]
The protagonist of Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 The Sympathizer speaks of missing the sauce after emigrating: "Oh, fish sauce! How we missed it, dear Aunt, how nothing tasted right without it, how we longed for the grand cru of Phú Quốc Island and its vats brimming with the finest vintage of pressed anchovies!" [1]
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages originated from Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes : sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more elements, which are also based around a five-pronged philosophy. Vietnamese recipes use ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking has often been characterised as using fresh ingredients, not using much dairy or oil, having interesting textures, and making use of herbs and vegetables. The cuisine is also low in sugar and is almost always naturally gluten-free, as many of the dishes are rice-based instead of wheat-based, made with rice noodles, rice papers and rice flour.
Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some garum-related fish sauces have been used in the West since the Roman times.
Garum is a fermented fish sauce that was used as a condiment in the cuisines of Phoenicia, ancient Greece, Rome, Carthage and later Byzantium. Liquamen is a similar preparation, and at times they were synonymous. Although garum enjoyed its greatest popularity in the Western Mediterranean and the Roman world, it was earlier used by the Greeks. The taste of garum is thought to be comparable to that of today's Asian fish sauces.
Bagoóng is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish or krill or shrimp paste with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as patís.
Phú Quốc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phú Quốc and nearby islands, along with the distant Thổ Chu Islands, are part of Kiên Giang Province as Phú Quốc City, this is Vietnam's first island city. The island has a total area of 589.27 km2 (227.52 sq mi) and a permanent population of approximately 179,480 people in 2020. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, the island city of Phú Quốc includes the island proper and 21 smaller islets. Dương Đông ward, located on the island's west coast, is the island's administrative centre and largest town. The other ward is An Thới on the southern tip of the island.
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Budu is an anchovy sauce and one of the best known fermented seafood products in Kelantan and Terengganu in Malaysia, the Natuna Islands, South Sumatra, Bangka Island and Western Kalimantan in Indonesia, and Southern Thailand. It is mentioned in A Grammar and Dictionary of the Malay language, With a Preliminary Dissertation, Volume 2, By John Crawfurd, published in 1852.
Bagoong monamon, bagoong monamon-dilis, or simply bagoong and bugguong munamon in Ilocano, is a common ingredient used in the Philippines and particularly in Northern Ilocano cuisine. It is made by fermenting salted anchovies which is not designed, nor customarily used for immediate consumption since it is completely raw.
The Phu Quoc Ridgeback is a rare breed of dog from the island of Phú Quốc in Kiên Giang Province in southern Vietnam. It is one of three ridgeback breeds, the others being the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Thai Ridgeback. It is not recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale or any other major club. The Phu Quoc Ridgeback is one of the four native Vietnamese dog breeds, along with the Bắc Hà dog, Lài dog, Hmong Bobtail Dog.
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Myeolchi-jeot (멸치젓) or salted anchovies is a variety of jeotgal, made by salting and fermenting anchovies. Along with saeu-jeot, it is one of the most commonly consumed jeotgal in Korean cuisine. In mainland Korea, myeolchi-jeot is primarily used to make kimchi, while in Jeju Island, meljeot is also used as a dipping sauce. The Chuja Islands, located between South Jeolla and Jeju, are famous for producing the highest quality myeolchi-jeot.
Anchovies are small, common saltwater forage fish in the family Engraulidae that are used as human food and fish bait. There are 144 species in 17 genera found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish. They are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length, and the body shape is variable, with more slender fish in northern populations.
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Red Boat is a brand of premium Phu Quoc fish sauce.