Fish sauce is a fermented fish condiment made from salted and fermented fish, typically anchovies, in a mixture of sugar and salt. It is often used in Southeast Asian cuisine. It also has an umami flavor that allows it to enhance the taste of other ingredients.
Fish sauce is commonly used in marinades, sauces, soups, and dips like satay or nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce). It can be used as a condiment or as seasoning. The taste varies depending on the type of fish used to make it: redfish produces a milder flavor than mackerel or shrimp.
One of the things you may wonder is if the fish sauce has msg in them.
Yes and no. Some fish sauce contains MSG while others do not. It all depends on the brand of the fish sauce that you’re using. The main ingredients are fermented fish with salt, water, and chili pepper. MSG is optional and some fish sauce manufacture will use it to enhance the flavor of their sauce.
What Is Fish Sauce?
Fish sauce is a condiment made from fermented salted fish that has been traditionally used as a flavoring in many dishes. The process of making fish sauce begins when the fish is dissolved in water and cooked until it becomes chunky with white solids on the surface.
Fish sauce is most popularly used to flavor dishes, especially Southeast Asian dishes like Pad Thai. The fish sauce also has a salty, savory taste that makes it a popular choice for dipping sauces.
Why Is Fish Sauce Important?
Fish sauce is a staple condiment that has existed for thousands of years. It is made from fermented fish. It can be found in sauces, dips, and stir-fries.
Fish sauce is important because it’s so versatile and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. It’s also an important condiment in many countries where it’s used not just as the base for dipping sauces but also as a seasoning or dipping sauce itself.
Fish sauce can be found in many different forms – paste, liquid, and granulated form – with varying degrees of saltiness.
In Thai cuisine, fish sauce has a distinctive flavor. It also has a unique aroma and color that sets it apart from the other types of sauces and condiments. Although it is widely used in Thai dishes, it is not used as widely in other countries because of the strong smell and smell of ammonia that comes with fish sauce production.
Fish sauce plays an important role in Thai cuisine culture because it adds an intense flavor to dishes such as tom yum goong (spicy shrimp soup) or pad thai (Thai rice noodles stir-fried with tamarind chili paste).
What Is MSG?
MSG is the abbreviation for monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate. It is an additive or flavor enhancer used in almost all types of food and beverage products around the world.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a salt and sodium salt that is made from the reaction between glutamic acid and sodium hydroxide. Monosodium glutamate has an umami taste that makes it widely used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Thai cuisine, French cuisine, Indian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, Vietnamese and Korean cuisines.
Why Do Fish Sauce Use MSG?
Fish sauce is a fermented fish sauce that is used in cooking, as well as a condiment. It’s a popular ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine and is most often used to give dishes some flavor and umami. MSG is monosodium glutamate that creates savory flavors when it comes into contact with the protein.
Fish sauce commonly uses MSG because it adds the savory flavor that fish sauce would lack without this ingredient. Some people find fish sauces with added MSG to have an unpleasant smell, but the taste gets rid of this issue and makes the food more appetizing.
Fish sauce typically contains salt and sugar as the primary ingredients and no monosodium glutamate.
Is MSG Bad For You?
MSG is a chemical sodium glutamate. In small doses it is safe, but it is toxic in large doses.
MSG has been criticized by many medical experts as being bad for your health and can cause headaches, chest pain, seizures, and heart attack.
Some people believe that food manufacturers are using MSG to enhance flavor or produce the umami effect. However, research shows that there is no evidence of this claim.
Conclusion
When it comes to MSG, it will depend on the brands. Some fish sauce manufacture will not use MSG as their ingredients, while others will. If you are unsure if your fish sauce has MSG in it, simply read the label and it should list all the ingredients that are used.