All eyes are on Southeast Asia for culinary innovation. With many trendy ingredients from the region influencing menu development, fish sauce in particular stands out for its recent applications. Made from the liquid from salted, fermented fish, fish sauce is to Asia what olive oil is to the Mediterranean. Its umami flavor components make it a staple in numerous Asian countries, including Thailand (nam pla), Vietnam (nuoc nam), the Philippines (patis) and Japan (shottsuru). And not only are umami flavors strengthening their appeal with the American public (especially males age 18–24), but with chains like Umami Burger bringing the term to the masses, consumers are increasingly asking for umami flavors in their everyday eateries.
Not only is fish sauce in vogue (with menu mentions increasing 2.5% in two years, according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor), but we’re also seeing a progression of the condiment on menus. Currently, fish sauces are trending in various ways in each restaurant classification, from mainstream chains to independents.
Let’s take a look.