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Better than Soy Sauce (and Much Better for You)

Posted on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 @ 09:09 AM
  
  
  
  
Add to delicious  delicious  
  

By Stanley A. Fishman, Author of Tender Grassfed Meat

Have you stopped using soy, in all its forms? I have. Then, what do you do when a recipe calls for soy sauce? Or when you want to make an Asian-style dish that is always flavored with soy sauce?

The answer is simple. Just use fish sauce.

Fish sauce goes all the way back to ancient Greece, where it was called Garos, and to ancient Rome, where it was called Garum. There were many kinds of Garum, made from many different kinds of fish, sometimes with other ingredients added, such as a kind of grape concentrate. The Romans considered Garum to be so important for their health that they used it to season just about every meat, fish, fowl, and vegetable dish they cooked. The Romans also served fish sauce as a condiment with every meal, as did the ancient Greeks.

Most people who know of fish sauce connect it to Thai and Vietnamese dishes, where it is often used as a seasoning.

What Is Fish Sauce?

Fish sauce is not made from rotting fish, as is so widely believed, but from fermented fish.

Fish sauce is made from the whole bodies (including all organs) of many small fish. A number of small fish (often anchovies) are placed in containers with salt, and left to ferment for several months. The mixture is strained, which results in a clear, light brown liquid which has all the nutrients from the whole fish, enhanced by fermentation. The best fish sauce is undiluted. Inferior versions are diluted with salt water, which reduces the nutritional value, and makes the sauce too salty. Traditional soy sauce was made by a similar fermentation process. I believe, though I can't prove it, that soy sauce was originally invented as a cheap substitute for fish sauce.

I use Thai Kitchen brand fish sauce, which has been recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation. It is delicious and nutritious. It is also gluten free.

Fish Sauce as a Substitute for Soy Sauce

Fish sauce really enhances the flavor of a dish, and does not make it taste fishy. We use fish sauce as a substitute for soy sauce. While the flavor is different, the taste is superb. We also add it to broths and soups for flavor and nutrition. I even sprinkle it on meat instead of salt.

Instead of the problems associated with soy products, fish sauce contains vital nutrients that will improve your nutrition.

Fish sauce is full of the vital nutrients and minerals contained in fish and fish organs, enhanced by fermentation. This includes iodine and other substances that nourish the thyroid, and vitamins A and D.

Fish sauce not only provides a tasty substitute for soy, it is good for your health.

Comments

I often use anchovies in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. to enhance flavors. Sounds like fish sauce could be a good alternative.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 6:01 AM by Kathy
This is good to know. I am surprised you get the SAME results taste wise. I use naturally fermented soy sauce, (no wheat) or Tamari, for example when I eat sushi or sashimi. Ohsawa brand makes an organic Nama Shoyu that is excellent too. Though I have a thyroid problem now from eating vegan for 2 years and using bad soy products I still do occassionally eat miso or certain types of soy sauces without problems.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 7:22 AM by Susan
Actually, the taste is not the same, but somewhat different, as stated in the article.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 10:47 AM by Stanley
fish sauce sounds great. Thanks for sharing the best brand. I use TAMARI sauce which is naturally fermented and gluten free too.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 1:31 PM by mindy
Instead of soy sauce I use Bragg Liquid Aminos. It is gluten free, not fermented, no preservatives or alchol. 
 
Certified non GMO soybeans. 
 
Since 1912.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 3:57 PM by Barbara
I am allergic to fish. Any other alternatives?
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 7:41 PM by Julie
I agree about Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Their natually fermented apple cider vinegar is excellent, too.
Posted @ Sunday, September 27, 2009 10:54 PM by Mary Ascher
We eat no soy except Organic, naturally fermented shoyu, and that, just as a condiment. Soy was never meant to be a staple in the diet and in a nutshell disrupts your endocrine system along with other nasty things. The Bragg Liquid Aminos mentioned previously, are made from soy, and they brag that it is unfermented. Fermented soy is the ONLY soy that should be consumed. Now, I love fish sauce, but we have stopped eating fish completely, as I understand it, and I would love to be corrected on this, there are no longer ANY sources of mercury-free fish. I like my nervous system too much to eat fish. Any comments?
Posted @ Sunday, October 04, 2009 7:18 AM by Dr. Rick Murphy
As I understand it, tiny fish have very little mercury. Larger fish, such as swordfish and tuna, contain a lot of mercury. Eating one ouce of tiny fish would put little or no mercury in your body, eating one ounce of swordfish will put an appreciable amount of mercury into your system. 
 
 
 
The brand I recommended in the article, Thai Kitchen, is made from anchovies, which are tiny fish. This sauce is fermented for months, and is full of nutrients from the sea, especially iodine, which is crucial for health. Because the nutrients have been concentrated into a liquid and enhanced by fermentation, even a small amount is very nutricious. 
 
 
 
Ny wife and I have fish sauce every day, either as a substitute for soy, or we just sprinkle it into broth. If anything, our nerve function had been enhanced since we added fish sauce to our diet. 
 
 
 
I am sensitive to Mercury, and have always felt sluggish or groggy after eating large fish. I have no such feeling after consuming fish sauce. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted @ Sunday, October 04, 2009 11:25 AM by Stanley
Bragg's has MSG. Be aware any food with modified food starch also contains MSG.
Posted @ Sunday, October 04, 2009 6:37 PM by Fivebig
Another substitute is Tamari (if you are allergic to fish). Tastes just like soy sauce, but has no wheat in it. I also love fish sauce - adds quite a bit of flavor to recipes.
Posted @ Sunday, May 16, 2010 9:48 AM by Liz
Instead of soy sauce I use Raw Coconut Aminos made by Coconut Secret. It is delicious, organic, gluten-free, made from "organic coconut sap aged and blended with sun-dried, mineral-rich sea salt". It tastes a little like teriyaki sauce, so substitutes nicely for soy sauce, but with no soy and less sodium.
Posted @ Sunday, August 29, 2010 2:07 PM by Nancy Ballerstedt
what about using diluted BRAGGS Aminos??
Posted @ Sunday, August 29, 2010 6:27 PM by Dianne
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