Vietnam: "NU+O+C MA('M : A VERY IMPORTANT SAUCE",

hai mu+o+i na(m no^.i chie^’n ha(`ng nga`y.

gia-ta`i cua? me. dde^? la.i cho con.

gia-ta`i cua? me. la` nu+o+’c Vie^.t buo^`n…………

(A thousand years of Chinese domination.

a hundred years of French colonization.

twenty years of daily civil war.

the heritage my mother left me.

the heritage of my mother is my sad country of Vie^.t- Nam……………….

The history of Vie^.t-Nam, a history of struggle and of suffering. The Vietnamese have endured many long years of war, of misery and of deprivation, yet their spirit was not broken, their creativity was not affected, their intelligence was left intact. The survival of the Vietnamese against all the odds and the ravages of war was indeed remarkable. One of the factors could be traced back to the very ingenious, salutary Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m which is the base sauce of this country diet.

Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m is a fragrant fish sauce, an excellent source of amino acids, rich in nitrates, iodine and Vitamin B. It is included in most, if not all, of Vietnamese recipes, it is as important as salt in the Western cuisine or soy sauce in Chinese cooking. Served with rice, which is filling and quite affordable, Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m can serve as an excellent complement to any meal, giving the much needed source of proteins which no other foods can provide. Made from fish, it is the most concentrated nutritious form of fish in liquid form.

Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m is prepared from fresh fish or anchovies and salt, layered in huge wooden vats. To each kilogram of fish are added about 300 grams of salt. After compression and bacterial fermentation of the fish for three to four months, the liquid is then drawn off from an open spigot, sometimes to be poured back into the top of the barrel and after having been left in this process of fermentation for about six months, voila` the fish sauce or Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m is ready.

The best fish sauce, the first draining from the barrel, is light yellow in color and is reserved for table use. The second or third yield of lower quality is cheaper in price and usually used for cooking purpose. The best fish sauce of Viet-Nam comes from the island of Phu Quoc and from Phan Thiet.

Nu+o+’c Ma(‘m is served with cayenne peppers in a small bowl. It can be readily found in oriental supermarkets. However it is very strong when bought from the store and needs to be diluted before it can be used as a dipping sauce. Its aroma is pungent and may affect your breath after you use it.