Fish sauce, the taste of the sea

In the quiet fishing village of Phan Thiet, anchovies and salt are fermented to create a liquid said to have some unusual properties - able to cure sore throats, aid divers and improve singers’ performances.
Fish sauce, the extremely pungent and salty amber liquid, is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine, used as an ingredient in cooking and as a condiment.
The southern resort island of Phu Quoc is possibly Vietnam’s most famous fish sauce-making area. But Phan Thiet, on Vietnam’s south-central coast, is also well-known for its top-grade product, produced the traditional way.
Phan Thiet’s anchovy fishing season lasts from the beginning of April to August, according to the lunar calendar. During this period, local fishermen can catch tons of fish within the space of only a few hours.
In the lunar month of August, the anchovies have less fat, are less scaly and their flesh is softer. These fish can be fermented into the finest-quality fish sauce with the highest protein levels.
Phan Thiet fish sauce makers use pure sea salt, mixing one basket of sea salt with three baskets of fish.
Each basket weighs about 30 kilograms and care must be taken not to tear the fish when mixing them with the salt.
On PhuQuocIsland and in other fish sauce-making areas, fish are fermented in wooden barrels but in Phan Thiet, clay jars are used to make fish sauce.
Each jar has a hole near the bottom, plugged to keep everything inside. Straw is placed inside the jar near the hole to act as a filter when the liquid is removed.
Bamboo mats, held down by rocks, are used to cover the jars, which are set out in the sun.
After one night, the plugs will be removed to allow the grey liquid to flow out of the jar.
The liquid is collected and poured back into the jar. The process is repeated numerous times over 10 to 12 months until the liquid is a dark red color with a strong taste.
The liquid is used as the basis of a variety of fish sauce products that are sold throughout Vietnam.
Popular throughout Southeast Asia, fish sauce is an indispensable part of everyday meals in Vietnam.
One unique character of the sauce is that its fishy odor disappears when it is mixed with other ingredients.
But in Phan Thiet, fish sauce-makers can take their product a few steps further. A more elaborate fish sauce-making technique is used to make a finer kind of fish sauce known as “mam nhi”.
Making “mam nhi” requires much more work than making the basic fish sauce. For this product, the fish is steeped in salt overnight, then finely ground and put into a jar.
After about two months, the amber “mam nhi” can be siphoned out.
The most expensive type of fish sauce is “mam lu”, which fish sauce makers treat like fine wine, storing it and regarding it as a prized asset.
“Mam lu”, made from the purest kinds of “mam nhi”, fermented for as long as 10 years or more, can be an elusive product to find.
The sauce has a strong and distinctive taste and is considered a potent medicine rather than a condiment.
“Mam lu” is said to raise a person’s body temperature. Fishermen believe a little of this sauce held in the mouth will help them dive in cold water for longer.
“Cai luong” (traditional Vietnamese opera) artists also use the sauce to help clear their throats and enable them to reach the high notes and hold them for longer.
People with sore throats are also advised to drink a small spoonful of the sauce for an overnight cure.