Phu Quoc fish sauce is a variety of fish sauce made from fermented black anchovies produced in Phu Quoc island and the 21 islets surrounding it in southwest Vietnam.
 Phu Quoc fish sauce | |
| Type | condiment, ingredient |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Vietnam |
| Main ingredients | Anchovy, salt |
Since 2001, the Industrial Property Department of the government of Vietnam has the name "Phu Quoc Fish Sauce" as a trademark, and only registered manufacturers are allowed to use the name in Vietnam. In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, the first Southeast Asian food to be recognized.
Background edit
Traditional Phu Quoc fish sauce has been made solely out of fermented black anchovies, also known as ca com anchovies, salt, and water for "centuries".[1] The waters around the islands are rich in seaweed and plankton which provide food for the anchovy population. However, it is only since the late 1950s that the product has been recognized outside of its home island, reaching its zenith of popularity between 1965 and 1975. With increasing government subsidies of many industries in the period from 1975 to 1985, the local fish sauce craft lost market share to larger competitors, but later the popularity of the Phu Quoc-produced traditional product rebounded.
Since 2001, the Industrial Property Department of the government of Vietnam has the name "Phu Quoc Fish Sauce" as a trademark, and only registered manufacturers are allowed to use the name in Vietnam.[2]
In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin status, which means only products produced in the islands can be labeled as Phu Quoc fish sauce.[3][1] It was the first food from Southeast Asia to receive the PDO status.[4]
In 2021, Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised the traditional making of Phu Quoc fish sauce as a national intangible cultural heritage [5]
As of 2021 Phu Quoc fish sauce production was expected to average 12 million liters/year.[5]
Production edit
Phu Quoc fish sauce is made from anchovies that have been fermented in brine in large barrels measuring 1.5 to 3 metres (4.9 to 9.8 ft) in diameter and 2 to 4 metres (6.6 to 13.1 ft) in height, containing 7 to 13 tons of product. The barrels are made from braided rattan from the local mountains, and can be used for up to 60 years; as the barrels age they produce better sauce.[5]
Traditionally and since 2012 by law, Phu Quoc sauce is made exclusively from anchovies harvested from waters surrounding the island. During the fishing season (which extends from July to December), fishermen harvest anchovies by net, removing the anchovies from among other fish and items in the nets, and immediately salting them on board, combining them with salt at a 3:1 ratio, then transporting them to the docks where they are placed into the barrels.[1]
Barrels are fermented for six to twelve months before bottling; longer fermentation mellows the flavor and produces a higher-quality sauce.[3] Barrels are drained to form the first press, which is used to make the highest-quality sauce.[3] Artisanal products typically use only the first pressing, and the products contain only anchovy and salt.[3][1]
Large-scale producers add salt and water to the drained barrels and drain them a second and third time.[1][3] Many commercial producers typically add flavor enhancers, thickeners, preservatives, and coloring to these later pressings.[1]
Description and recognition edit
According to Saveur, "what Provence is to rosé, Phú Quốc is to [fish sauce]".[1] According to Epicurious, Phu Quoc "is considered to be...some of the world's highest quality fish sauce".[6]
The highest quality sauces have a high nitrogen grade (°N), which represents the ratio of protein to liquid in the sauce; 30°N is a high-quality grade and 40°N is a premium grade.[1] Many commercial varieties have a grade in the mid-twenties.[1]
Phu Quoc fish sauce is differentiated by its color, which in traditionally-made products is due entirely to the ingredients and barrels rather than coloring agents. Higher-quality sauces have a reddish cast from amber to deep caramel.[1][7] Phu Quoc fish sauce is generally lighter and sweeter than other fish sauces.[6]
Issues edit
Phu Quoc fish sauce production is threatened by the declining anchovy population caused by overfishing and other environmental degradation.
Lesser-quality products used the name prior to the establishment of the trademark protection and PDO status. Trademark protection has been denied in some foreign countries due to overuse of the term by other manufacturers prior to the Phu Quoc producers' efforts to obtain trademark protection.
After the 2012 PDO status, counterfeiting became common.[6] According to Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association chairwoman Nguyen Thi Tinh speaking in 2014, eighty percent of fish sauce labeled “Phu Quoc" was counterfeit.[6][8] Counterfeit fish sauces can be made and sold more cheaply.[8]
Notable producers edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dao, Dan Q. (2018-06-14). "Family-Produced Fish Sauce in Phú Quốc, Vietnam". Saveur. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ Ray, Neil (8 May 2009). "Phu Quoc fish sauce to be trademarked". SeafoodSource.
- ^ a b c d e "Everything you want to know about Phu Quoc Fish Sauce". Phu Quoc. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ Rosen, Elisabeth (2013-11-01). "Can Fish Sauce Be Vietnam's Champagne?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b c "Phu Quoc fish sauce making an intangible cultural heritage in Vietnam". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b c d Fuller, Janet Rausa (2016-10-13). "Fish Sauce Is Funky in Any Language". Epicurious. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Phú Quốc Fish Sauce | Local Fish Sauce From Phu Quoc Island". TasteAtlas. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ a b "Fake Phu Quoc fish sauce troubles enterprises | DTiNews - Dan Tri International, the news gateway of Vietnam". Dantri International News. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- "Standards Phu Quoc fish sauce." Production Association of Phu Quoc fish sauce. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- "Phu Quoc fish sauce: Only 5-8% is the real thing." Manufacturing Association of Phu Quoc fish sauce. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- "The barrel of Phu Quoc." Saigon Businessman (August 5, 2008). Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- "Phu Quoc fish sauce: this Mai, who remember ...?!". Lao Dong (December 24, 2009). Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- "Phu Quoc fish sauce ... call for help. " Saigon Times (March 19, 2005). Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- Ngoc Tuan Van (April 7, 2010). "Origin of Phu Quoc fish sauce: There may be denied registration." Saigon Economic Times. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
External links edit
- Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Guide Archived 2018-08-25 at the Wayback Machine