Short answer: Fish sauce isn't just for Thai and Vietnamese food — it's one of the most powerful umami boosters in any kitchen. A small splash deepens stir-fries, soups, marinades, dressings, braises, and even non-Asian dishes like pasta sauces and stews. Used in the right amount, it doesn't taste "fishy" at all; it just makes everything taste more savoury and complete.
Most Australians first meet fish sauce in a pad thai or a Vietnamese dipping sauce and assume that's where it belongs. But fish sauce is fundamental across a much wider range of cooking — including Chinese regional cuisines where it's as basic as salt.
Fish sauce in Chinese cooking
In Chaoshan (Teochew) cuisine, from the coast around Shantou in Guangdong province, fish sauce is a cornerstone ingredient — not a Southeast Asian import. It's used in stir-fries, congee, braises, and as a dipping condiment. Our Chaoshan 3-Year Aged Premium Fish Sauce comes from Nanao Island off Shantou and is naturally sun-fermented in ceramic urns for three years with zero additives. The result is a deeply savoury, almost sweet amber liquid — a world away from the sharp, one-note fish sauces reformulated for supermarket shelves.
That complexity is exactly why it works far beyond its home cuisine.
Where to use it (that isn't Thai or Vietnamese)
- Stir-fries — a small splash instead of, or alongside, soy sauce gives greens and meat a rounder savoury depth.
- Congee and soups — a few drops at the end lifts the whole bowl.
- Marinades — fish sauce seasons meat deeply and helps it brown; try it on chicken wings or pork before roasting.
- Salad dressings — a little fish sauce with lime, garlic, and a touch of sugar makes a punchy dressing for slaws and noodle salads.
- Braises and stews — it adds the same background savouriness that anchovies or Worcestershire sauce bring to Western cooking.
The secret nobody tells you: use it in non-Asian food
Fish sauce is essentially concentrated umami, chemically close to the glutamates in aged parmesan and anchovies. Chefs use it as a quiet seasoning in places you'd never guess:
- A teaspoon in a Bolognese or tomato sauce, where it disappears and just makes the sauce taste deeper.
- A dash in a beef stew or gravy in place of some of the salt.
- A few drops in a Caesar dressing or a marinade for roast vegetables.
The rule is simple: you should never taste "fish sauce" in the finished dish. If you can, you've used too much. Used correctly, people just say the food tastes better and can't tell you why.
Does it need refrigerating?
A traditional, additive-free fish sauce like the Chaoshan should be stored in a cool, dry place. Its high salt content and long fermentation make it very stable, so it keeps well — always follow the storage note on the bottle.
The bottom line
Stop thinking of fish sauce as a Thai and Vietnamese ingredient and start thinking of it as your umami dial. A good, naturally fermented fish sauce earns its place next to your soy and salt, and it'll quietly improve far more of your cooking than you'd expect — including dishes that have nothing to do with Southeast Asia.
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