Is Fish sauce vegan?
No — fish sauce is fermented anchovies and salt.
Also listed as: nuoc mam, nam pla, patis
Key facts
- Verdict
- Not vegan
- Category
- Condiments
- Also listed as
- nuoc mam, nam pla, patis
- Best swap
- Seaweed + soy sauce
Why
It gives Southeast Asian cooking its salty depth. Vegan versions ferment pineapple, soy or seaweed and hit a very similar note.
What to check on the label
- Anchovy extract in curry pastes
- Fish sauce in dressings and dips
- "Vegan fish sauce" labels
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What is actually in it
Fish sauce is the backbone seasoning of Thai, Vietnamese and wider Southeast Asian cooking, made by fermenting anchovies or other small fish with salt for months and pressing out the amber liquid. It is definitionally an animal product, and it hides in more than the obvious places: pad thai, curries, dipping sauces, kimchi (many traditional recipes use fish sauce or salted shrimp), soups and salad dressings across the region. Its culinary job is pure umami plus salt — fermented fish proteins break down into glutamates — and that job is easy to replicate without fish. Vegan fish sauce brands (built on soy, seaweed, mushroom or pineapple fermentation) are now sold in Asian grocers and online; soy sauce or tamari with a strip of kombu or a spoon of miso covers most home recipes; and a quick home version simmers dried shiitake, kombu, soy sauce and a little salt. In Thai cooking, 'vegetarian' versions of fish sauce (often labelled with a yellow 'jae' flag during the vegetarian festival) replace fish with soy and seaweed. When eating out in Southeast Asia, fish sauce is the default seasoning even in vegetable dishes, so it is worth learning the local phrase to request no fish sauce — and checking kimchi labels, since 'vegetable kimchi' is not always fish-free. Oyster sauce and shrimp paste are the sibling ingredients to watch for in the same cuisines.
Questions people ask
How do I replicate the funk?
Simmer kombu in soy sauce with a little sugar and lime; add miso for depth.
Are curry pastes vegan?
Often not — shrimp paste and fish sauce are standard. Check for vegan-labelled pastes.
What is the best vegan fish sauce substitute?
Commercial vegan fish sauces (soy- and seaweed-based) are the closest; at home, soy sauce simmered with kombu and dried shiitake gives similar depth.
Is kimchi vegan?
Often not — traditional recipes ferment with fish sauce or salted shrimp. Vegan-labelled kimchi uses soy or seaweed instead; check the ingredients.
Is oyster sauce vegan?
No — it is made from oyster extracts. 'Vegetarian oyster sauce' made from mushrooms is the standard vegan swap and widely available.
How do I avoid fish sauce when travelling in Thailand or Vietnam?
Ask for dishes 'jae' (Thai) or 'chay' (Vietnamese) — the local vegetarian categories that exclude fish sauce — and confirm no fish sauce even in vegetable stir-fries.
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