There are several websites promising to tell you "everything you need to know about fish sauce". None of them do, although some get closer than others.
For a start, none know what you or I need to know. Some are just error-ridden crap: some recommend brands only because it's the only brand they can find locally; one only told me that fish sauce is sauce made from fish!
Most only mention Thai and/or Vietnamese sauces, ignoring Burmese, Lao, Cambodian, Filipino, Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, British or Italian etc.
One, pretending to be Thai but actually Canadian ends up recommending Vietnamese sauce.
So I decided to explore the world and see what's actually out there and how many I can find locally.
I'll start boringly with the most familiar.
Thai fish sauce is nam pla - น้ําปลา in Thai. It literally means 'fish water'. The best contains only fish ( ปลา ), salt ( เกลือ ) and sugar ( น้ำตาล ). Check that ingredients list.
Lesser brands contain MSG ( ผงชูรส ) and caramel ( คาราเมล ). Some use hydrolyzed wheat protein ( โปรตีนข้าวสาลีไฮโดรไลซ์ ), another taste enhancer similar in effect to MSG. I suggest you avoid those (while remaining resolutely a defender of MSG in general).
If these is a protein count on the packaging, so much the better. 30N and above is a good indicator of quality. Unfortunately few brands include that information.
First-press ( ซอสกดครั้งแรก ) sauce is best in the same way that extra-virgin olive oil is.
Prik nam pla ( น้ําปลาพริก ) is a table condiment or dressing containing nam pla with chilli. Sometimes it also contains lime juice and / or garlic. It is not used in cooking.
Of the widely available Thai fish sauce brands, Megachef and Squid are both recommended. Neither are available here so I pass that on with the usual caveats.
I use either of these depending on current availability. Not the best; not the worst.
Next: Vietnamese fish sauce.
