I'm very new to fish sauce - I bought some just a couple of weeks ago to make a pineapple-shrimp curry. Imagine my shock at the hissing, fizzing, and ultimately exploding all over my hands and counter (like a bottle of soda) when I opened the bottle. Anybody know what gives? Could I have gotten a bad bottle?

@vikks: That's definitely a bad bottle. It isn't supposed to "fizz". Good fish sauce has only anchovies, water, and sometimes sugar/salt in it and is shelf-stable. No additives or other items.

I only buy Golden Boy or 3 Crabs brands, and currently have a liter bottle of each in my pantry. I use them a lot for my Thai/Vietnamese cooking, and also for making breakfast staples like fried rice and marinades for meat. It takes me about 6 months to use a liter bottle up. I looooove the stuff. It smells pretty funky, but gives a great flavor when used in cooking.

A key factor to how fish sauce is used is acid.
Most Thai dishes using fish sauce (except when used as a dipping sauce) have one to two times as much lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar as fish sauce.

You guys should try budu. It is also fish sauce but tastes different and usually being used for condiment.

fish sauce isn't just for Asian dishes- i put a splash in my tomato sauces and my salad dressings. anytime you want a savory, umami hit!

I agree with @DCarl1--Golden Boy is the best, and I hear good things about 3 Crabs. Tiparos, which is usually what is most commonly available, has an almost unpleasant fishy smell and flavor. Fish sauce smells, well, like fermented fish, but you can start to notice differences in how clean different brands taste and smell.

@lotusmoss: Yes, there are some very bad brands out there. Golden Boy is my "gold standard." I think it's harder to find than 3 Crabs though, so people outside areas with a big Thai/Lao population might find 3 Crabs easier.

I have a HUGE bottle of squid brand in my fridge at all times. It's like 2 bucks!

I love this stuff and my husband often uses as his 'secret ingredient' in many dishes.

I keep a bottle but I only really use it in Pad Thai.

I use Golden Boy or Tra Chang. I wouldn't use 3 crabs, it's dubious since it has hydrolyzed wheat protein as an ingredient.

@m! - Yes, 3 Crabs isn't as good as Golden Boy or Tra Chang. I bought it on advice of a Vietnamese friend. It isn't bad though, and I use it sometimes in my Viet cooking.

3 crabs!

The first time I used fish sauce, I over-did it and i've been gun-shy ever since. Thanks for all the good info and recommendations in the comments! It may be time for a fish sauce re-boot.

i'm a huge fan of three crabs. i haven't tried golden boy, but will look into it when my bottle is out. my mom always told me to look for a clear, light amber color. so, the one you have pictured would not have even been on my radar. also, you get what you pay for. the 99¢ bottles usually taste bad and will stink up your house, not just the kitchen.

For those, like me, than love anchovies on pizza and pasta dishes, a shot of this stuff is a great substitute.

1 Crab, 3 Crabs, 5 Crabs, and Phu Quoc are all made by the same company. They do have different tastes though. The more common 3 Crabs is nicely balanced. Phu Quoc and 5 Crabs are intense and 1 Crab is pretty light. I do like Tra Chang and Golden Boy and buy only vietnamese or thai fish sauces. The inexpensive, cheap quality stuff from the Phillipines (Tiparos) is no good. Stay away from that stuff.

I had to laugh; the first time my Mom went to use fish sauce she couldn't remember how long it had been in the pantry (Dad does most of the ethnic cooking). She asked me if it went bad and I replied that I didn't think so. "I think I'll give it the sniff test," she says. Sadly, I wasn't quite fast enough to stop her before she opened it and took a big whiff.

She almost threw the whole bottle away before I convinced her that, no, it's supposed to smell like that. My dad laughed and laughed when he heard.

I use the Tiparos brand pictured in the article- good lord was it hard to open though!

I use it mostly for the sauce in what my boyfriend and I lovingly (or ignorantly) just call 'Lunch Bowls'. Cellophane noodles, cucumber, carrot, green onion, bean sprouts, peanuts and whatever protein is on hand. The sauce is a mixture of fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, siracha and a little honey.

So nice on these hot days!

I really want a bottle of vegetarian fish sauce. Does anyone know where to find one online? Or a good recipe that actually tastes like fish sauce?

I have a bottle in my pantry.... I love it... I'm looking forward to dressing it up more with some of the things you describe.... we use it with dumplings and spring rolls.

There is no vegetarian fish sauce. It is made of fermented anchovies. Even most vegetarian dishes in Thai restaurants use fish sauce, as it's almost impossible to make Thai food without it. It's like the national condiment of Thailand. Many cookbooks say you can substitute soy sauce. It's not the same flavor at all, and will give a different flavor, but it's the only substitute that comes even close.

@toindc - Vegetarian fish sauce does exist! Look for it in asian/vietnamese specialty food stores, although I believe it can be difficult to find. It doesn't taste exactly like fish sauce but you get the same result from it - the umami flavor.

I found this link on Chowhound with a couple of recipes:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/48418

I sprinkle it on sandwich fillings to give the Vietnamese sandwich flavor to things.

We use it for Thai curry, and that's it. But now that you've said the better quality stuff is like parmesan, we may have to go find a better bottle!

Fish sauce is fantastic. Just use a tiny bit. You don't want to be able to identify it, you just want it to give a bit of savoury depth to your dish.

Do you keep your fish sauce in the fridge after you open it? Thank you.

Golden Boy lives in the fridge.

The Romans made and used a fish sauce as well called Garum. A sauce is still produced in Italy called Colatura di Alici. I have both the Italian and Asian fish sauces. They really are a great ingredient, giving foods a great flavor component, that when used discretely is not fishy at all. If you store some of these sauces in the fridge the sugar tends to crystallize.