Succulent Succotash: Gluten-free Fish Sauce

It has been over 45 days since I've gone gluten free. Overall, I think the transition has been pretty smooth, but I have had my share of breakdowns especially when I tried to eat out with my family and friends at local Asian restaurants--the authentic, mom & pop shop kinds. Staff is not always knowledgeable, nor are they keen on being accommodating.

My worst dining out experience was going to BCD with my in-law's. (I'll be writing a restaurant review later). Hence, my Instagram post saying that it sucks to be Asian & gluten-intolerant.

While I quickly discovered gluten-free soy sauce (typically called Tamari), it took me much longer to find gluten-free fish sauce. I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy Thai food again.

What is fish sauce anyway?
It's a strong briny sauce made from fermenting anchovies, water, and salt. It's a key ingredient in East & Southeast Asian foods.

Vietnamese - nuoc mam
Thai - nam pla
Korean - aekjeot
Philippines - isda

A few years ago, I saw a cool documentary on Extreme Cuisine hosted by Jeff Corwin on the making of fish sauce.

Finding the right fish sauce
Prior to my G-free days, I bought the Viet Huong Three Crabs fish sauce based on my research for a Thai green papaya salad (som tum) recipe. I didn't realize that this brand was NOT gluten-free after the fact. Look for an inconspicuously labeled ingredient called "hydrolyzed vegetable protein," translated as wheat protein.

When I found out I was gluten intolerant, I purged my kitchen of all gluten-containing items including the incomparable condiment, fish sauce.

I haven't had much Asian food since my confirmed diagnosis. Unfortunately for me, my favorite Asian dishes almost always include fish sauce, which, in turn, contains gluten.

Korean Kimchi - depending on brand of fish sauce used to season
Vietnamese Pho - broth & condiments
Som Tum - salad dressing

Gluten-free Brands
Below are some gluten-free brands I found online. While I feel comforted in knowing that I can try to replicate Asian dishes at home, I wish that I could still go out to eat like I used to. Now that I am more familiar with brands, I can ask restaurants what brands they use.