The Tasty Way Fish Sauce Transforms Simple Buttered Noodles

Fish sauce is a powerhouse condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine to add saltiness and savory flavor to a variety of dishes, such as soups and stir fries. You can even give burgers an umami boost with fish sauce or add a savory twist to corn on the cob. To make it, fish (usually anchovies) are fermented in large tanks of water and salt for around 12 months on average. While it might smell "fishy," the flavor it imparts to your food is more unctuous than fishy-tasting. This is what makes it the perfect ingredient for packing a deep, savory punch to your buttered noodles, providing a uniquely fermented oceanic sharpness that balances out the butter's dairy richness.

When cooking with fish sauce, the amount you should add to your buttered noodles depends on how robust of an umami flavor you want in your dish. When unfamiliar with its flavor, it's recommended to start with just a splash or a single teaspoon and taste to see if you prefer more. While fish sauce can be used as a tableside condiment like soy sauce or tabasco sauce, to really saturate your noodles with the umami flavor, prepare a sauce to pour over the noodles. Simply melt butter in a pan and add your fish sauce, then pour it over your favorite noodles, such as Chinese wheat noodles, spaghetti, ramen, egg noodles, or yakisoba. To step up the flavor of your sauce, consider adding other ingredients that deliver an umami boost to your noodles. 

While you can simply add fish sauce to your buttered noodles for umami flavor, for even more savory taste consider making garlic noodles. Garlic noodles are a popular Vietnamese-American fusion dish, purportedly first created by Thanh Long restaurant in San Francisco in 1972. The noodles are typically served with another San Francisco specialty, roast Dungeness crab, but they also taste great on their own. 

While recipes can differ, garlic noodles are typically made with Chinese wheat noodles or egg noodles (such as used in lo mein) and three Asian sauces: fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. These sauces are combined with melted butter to create a rich sauce that coats the noodles. Plenty of fresh garlic is added to the sauce to boost the nutty, earthy, umami flavor. Some recipes also add brown sugar to balance the saltiness. The noodles are often topped with green onions and freshly grated parmesan, and veggies and protein might be added, such as mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli, shrimp, or chicken.

As far as what fish sauce to buy, there are a variety of brands with varying qualities available at grocery stores and Asian supermarkets. In general, it's recommended to look for one that has limited ingredients listed (anchovies, water, salt, and sugar). Too many additives is a sign that it has been diluted and has less flavor. A few prominent brands include Squid Thai Fish Sauce, Red Boat Fish Sauce, and Three Crabs Fish Sauce.