Anchovies packed in salt and fermented for months until they render a thin amber liquid. It is made from fish, so it is neither vegan nor vegetarian, whatever a recipe's plant-based framing might suggest.
What it does in a recipe: Concentrated salty umami — it is a savoury depth charge, not a fishy flavour, once it is in a dish. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Nam pla, Nuoc mam, Patis
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Condiments & saucescategory
Quick answer
Vegan fish sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce = 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace fish sauce
Vegan fish sauce
Closest match
1 tbsp fish sauce = 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
Commercial versions build the same salty-savoury profile from fermented soy, pineapple, seaweed and dried mushroom, all of which are glutamate-rich.
Trade-offCleaner and slightly sweeter, without the funky low note that real fish sauce brings to a dipping sauce.
Allergen checkMost vegan fish sauces are soy- and seaweed-based; some include wheat. Read the ingredients list, particularly if you are buying it specifically to avoid an allergen.
Allergen checkStandard soy sauce contains both soy and wheat. Use tamari in place of soy sauce if gluten is a concern, and check that label too.
Worcestershire sauce
In a pinch
1 tbsp fish sauce = 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce + 1/2 tsp water
Worcestershire is itself an anchovy ferment, so it comes from the same flavour family; the tamarind and molasses in it add sweetness that fish sauce does not have.
Trade-offSweeter and more spiced. It works stirred into a braise or a marinade, less well in a Thai dressing where the flavour is exposed.
CookingSaucesDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
Allergen checkThis is still fish. Worcestershire contains anchovies and is not a safe swap for a fish allergy or a vegetarian table, and its malt vinegar usually means gluten.
Salted mushroom and seaweed broth
In a pinch
1 tbsp fish sauce = 1 tbsp strong dried shiitake and kombu soaking liquid + 1/4 tsp salt
Dried shiitake supplies guanylate and kombu supplies glutamate; together they produce the same savoury lift by a completely different route.
MethodSteep a few dried shiitake and a small piece of kombu in hot water for 30 minutes, then reduce the strained liquid by about half before measuring.
Trade-offThinner and more delicate. It supports a dish rather than driving it, so expect to season more assertively elsewhere.
Allergen checkKombu is a seaweed, not a shellfish, but it is often processed alongside seafood — worth confirming with the supplier if a shellfish allergy is severe.
Worth knowing
Fish sauce smells alarming from the bottle and disappears into a dish as pure savouriness. If a recipe seems to be missing something, it is very often this.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.