Southeast Asian cuisine mainly consists of lightly prepared dishes with strong, aromatic seasonings like basil, coriander, lime, lemongrass etc. The ingredients that are commonly utilized in Southeast Asian cuisine are rice, ginger, garlic, chillies, dried onions, sesame seeds, tofu and soy sauce. But, there's one such popular and most ordinarily used ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine is fish sauce. Fish sauce is valued as a cooking ingredient in Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese cuisine.

Fish sauce may be a pungent condiment made by fermenting anchovies with salt for up to 2 years. It’s made by placing the anchovies during a barrel with salt and slowly pressed to extract the liquid, which is that the fish sauce. Mostly, anchovies are wont to make fish sauce, however, mackerel, shrimp or krill also are wont to make fish sauces.

Fish sauce is flexible and it's utilized in all types of dishes like stir-fries, green papaya salad, pad Thai and pho. But, what if you do not have this cooking ingredient in your kitchen and you do not know what other ingredients you'll substitute it within your cooking. We've listed a number of the tasty substitutes for the fish sauce which you'll easily use altogether varieties of dishes.

The Best Substitutes for Fish Sauce

Now you recognize how awesome fish sauce is, but that won’t assist you much if you don’t have any or can’t use it because of dietary restrictions. Fortunately, there are several suitable stand-ins for the fish sauce which will allow you to proceed together with your cooking plans—including a vegan option.

Soy Sauce:

Soy sauce, which is formed from fermented soybeans, water, salt, and wheat, is a superb alternative to fish sauce. It’s also suitable for vegans. Because of the amino acids in soybeans, soy sauce features a rich umami flavor with a touch of sweetness. You’ll swap fish sauce for soy at a 1-to-1 ratio, or try mixing other ingredients with soy for extra flavor.

Oyster Sauce:

Oyster sauce and fish sauce are similar in terms of the savoury flavour and it might be utilized in stir-fry recipes. Oyster sauce is formed by extracting the juice of oysters. It’s sweeter and slightly salty. Use the oyster sauce in equal amounts in marinades, stir-fries and Chinese fried rice.

Vegan Fish Sauce:

People who are on a vegan diet or are allergic to fish and shellfish can use vegan fish sauce as an alternative to fish sauce. Vegan fish sauce is formed from shiitake mushrooms, liquid aminos and soy sauce. Liquid aminos are the free amino acids that are made by fermenting coconut sap with salt and water or treating soybeans with an acidic solution to interrupt them down into free amino acids.

Seaweed:

Seaweed is an umbrella term for plants and algae that grow in water. Seaweed is nutritious and high within the amino acid glutamate, which is rich in umami flavor. As such, it’s commonly added to broths and soups in many Japanese and Korean dishes. High glutamate forms of seaweed include nori and kinds of kombu, like rausu, ma, rishiri, hidaka, and naga.

Both dried and fresh seaweed are great alternatives to fish sauce. Fresh seaweed works best in salads, broths, and sauces, while dried seaweed is often added to most dishes. Follow the instructions on the packet for measurements.

Worcestershire Sauce:

Worcestershire sauce is formed from anchovies, tamarind, vinegar, molasses, cloves, onion and other seasonings. The strong savoury flavour of Worcestershire sauce makes it an ideal alternative to fish sauce.

Mushroom and Soy Sauce Broth:

Mushroom and soy broth Mushroom and soy sauce broth is another excellent substitute for fish sauce. It’s made of dried shiitake mushrooms, low-sodium soy and water. You’ll easily make it at home by simmering dried shiitake mushrooms, low-sodium soy and water during a pot until the broth has reduced by half. Strain the broth and use it in soups and stews.

Coconut Aminos:

Coconut aminos, which are derived from fermented coconut sap, are easy to feature to most dishes. They have a dark color, rich in umami flavor, and are slightly sweeter than soy and fish sauce.

Tamari:

Tamari may be a form of soy sauce made of fermenting soybeans and has other ingredients like miso paste, salt and water. It’s an upscale, strong and slight salty umami flavour and it's dark in colour.