Fish sauce, a cornerstone in many Asian cuisines, brings an unparalleled depth of flavor to fried rice that you can't replicate with salt or even soy sauce.

Made of fermented fish, fish sauce works so well in fried rice dishes because of its umami characteristics, which help to amplify the dish's overall flavor.

A quality fish sauce has a clear, amber color, similar to black tea. These fish sauces, also called first-press, are made from the initial extraction of the fermenting barrel.

Add fish sauce to your pan of steamed rice, starting slow and adding more as needed. For most people, using about half a tablespoon of fish sauce should hit the sweet spot.

Let everything cook together for a bit before tasting. If you want the rice to be a bit more savory, you can add a quarter tablespoon at a time until the flavor's just right.