Disclaimer on
Vietnamese
Spelling

"Fing shrimp sauce, the English name for this condiment, is so elegant sounding, yet once the lid is open, "compelling," "pungent," and "stinky" are commonly used to describe it. Fine shrimp sauce (called mam tom by northern and mam ruoc by central and southern Vietnamese) is popular in southern China and Southeast Asia.

Although made much like fish sauce, shrimp sauce is thick like toothpaste and purplish. For Western palates, it is probably the most difficult Asian fermented seafood product to accept. (But what about a ripe, room-temperature Camembert or Roquefort? They are quite heady, too.) Shrimp sauce is not eaten right out of the jar. A bit of it is blended into foods or dipping sauces, where it imparts an aroma and savoriness that deepens the overall flavor of a dish. Central and northern Viet cooks have a penchant for the sauce.

Sold in jars at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, shrimp sauce may be smooth or coarse. I prefer the smooth version labeled fine shrimp sauce. Koon Chun and Lee Kum Kee are two good brands. Once opened, refrigerate shrimp sauce to keep its smell at bay. When measuring it for recipes, use a small plastic spatula to push it out of the measuring spoon, so you won't have to touch it.