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Fish sauce

Fish sauce is a salty fermented seafood seasoning used in dipping sauces, marinades, soups, and stir-fries.

Fish sauce — illustrative ingredient image

About Fish sauce

Fish sauce is a liquid seasoning made by fermenting fish with salt, then separating and sometimes filtering the resulting liquid. It is used in dipping sauces, marinades, soups, stir-fries, dressings, and other cooked dishes, where it supplies concentrated seasoning.

It has a pronounced salty, savory aroma with a concentrated umami taste. Bottled versions can differ in intensity, sweetness, saltiness, and fermentation character; some are blended or seasoned after fermentation, so the generic name does not specify one exact flavour profile.

Fish sauce ranges from amber to deep brown and may be clear or slightly cloudy. It is generally sold bottled as a ready-to-use liquid. Filtration affects clarity, while blending, added seasonings, dilution, or cooking can change its appearance, concentration, and flavour in the finished dish.

Ingredient type
sauce

Forms & related ingredients

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Where fish sauce appears

119 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for fish sauce

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Fish sauce

English

fish sauce (fermented)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

fish sauce (phillipine)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Fish sauce nutrition & diet

Fish sauce nutritional value

Sauce, fish, ready-to-serve

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
35kcal
Protein
5.1g
Carbs
3.6g
Fat
0.0g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Match the specific fish-sauce product or recipe, including fish identity, fermentation, filtering, dilution, and added ingredients. It is usually used as a seasoning rather than a standalone portion, so references should reflect the amount incorporated into the complete dish.

Compare the right form: Match the branded or recipe-made fermented sauce, specifying fish species, fermentation, filtering, dilution, and additions such as sugar or cereal ingredients.

Diet considerations

Fish sauce is animal-derived through its seafood base, but formulations vary. Compatibility changes with added sugar, cereal ingredients, soy, other seafood, meat, or flavorings, and with the foods it seasons. A small seasoning use differs from a dipping sauce or concentrated ingredient in the finished portion.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    May be compatible
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · May be compatible
The recorded ingredients may fit this pattern. This is not a complete recipe or manufacturing specification; check additions and preparation.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Sauce, fish, ready-to-serve ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .