Fish sauce fish sauce as a base. The Indonesian semi-solid fish paste or fermented krill "terasi", the Cambodian "prahok" and the Malay fermented krill brick "belacan" or budu from liquid anchovies are other popular variations of fish sauces. In Lao/Isan, it is called "nam pa". A chunkier, more aromatic version known as "padaek" is also used. The similar Philippine version common to Indochina is called "patis". "Patis", a by-product of "bagoong", is nearly always cooked prior to consumption, even when used as an accent to salads or other raw dishes. Patis is also used as an ingredient in cooked dishes, including a
Fish sauce considered high-grade, and 40N is optimal. "Nước chấm" is a Vietnamese prepared fish-based condiment (also referred to as a "sauce") that is savory, lightly sweet and salty tasting, and can be sour and spicy if lime and chili peppers are added. The main components are fish sauce, water, and sugar. "Nước mắm" is made much like fish sauce, except that it is not fermented as long, and the fish is kept along with its liquid extract, not just the extract. "Mắm" can be used as a base condiment in dipping sauces with additional ingredients or used in soups or stir-fries.