Phu quoc fish sauce waters around The island are rich in seaweed and plankton which provide food for the anchovy population. However, it 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 in recent years, the popularity of the authentic Phu Quoc product has been rebounding. In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
Fish sauce rice porridge called "arroz caldo", and as a condiment for fried fish. Patis is also used in place of table salt in meals to enhance the flavor of the food, where it can either be dashed from a dispensing bottle onto the food, or poured into a saucer and mixed with calamansi and used as a dipping sauce. Fish sauce in Thailand is called "nam pla" (). In Isan, it is called "nam pa". Similar to the Laotian "padaek" is "pla ra" (), also used in Thai cuisine. In Thailand, fish sauce is used both in cooking and also served