There are hundreds of articles out there on the net discussing soya sauce and fish sauce. However, let’s describe briefly what they are.
- Fish sauce is made from fermented fish or shellfish parts with salt, sealed in a closed container for up to 2 years.
- Soya sauce is made from fermented soybeans, grains with salt and water in a temperature that depends on traditional or modern methods.
Do you know that each sauce individually has its own rich nutrients such as antioxidants, isoflavones, protein in soya sauce; and potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, B6 and protein in fish sauce. Even though both sauces have a significant level of sodium, they are widely used in marinating meats, vegetables, and sauces in asian cuisine.
The strong stinky smell of the fish sauce tends to push people away from tasting it’s wonderful taste, but once being mixed with lemon or herbs, it reduces its smell. On the side note, it has been quite a supporting medicine for divers in Vietnam. Because of the concentration of the protein and salt, it helps the body to handle the pressure under the water better, even preventing painful ears, nose and eyes while diving.
While the soya sauce has a much more pleasant smell compared to fish sauce, it also has a moderate umami, sweet and salty taste that matches well with many different ingredients, therefore it is much more popular in Asian cuisine and even Hawaiian dishes.
While developing Nanalicious, I have found the taste from these 2 sauces compliment each other in a strange beautiful way, a whole new salty taste with a twist of soya and fish (without stinky smell) resurfaced. For example, cooking together with other herbs such as five spice, onion, garlic or basil, mint and rosemary, you will find the fishy smell disappears quickly, leaving behind a rich taste of the saltiness that is not a normal salt you know but a complex marriage of soya and fish flavours. I call it a perfect couple – fish and soya sauce.
Why do I combine the 2 sauces together? Because of its own function in the cooking process, one of them is soya sauce gives the meat tenderness in marinating, while fish sauce gives a strong punch of flavour in the after taste. By combining these 2 sauces ratiolly (1:5 of fish sauce and soya sauce), the meat or vegetable has the soft gentle to begin with and strong powerful taste after. Therefore, I have made the recipe Nanalicious Broth-Jelly as the base of my cooking and it is a must have item in every fridge.