There's a goodly number of one-star reviews where the gist is "This smells awful and I threw it out." That's what made me suspect that this would actually be a good fish sauce substitute and not just some salty liquid. And a good fish sauce sub it is. It has funk to it. It kinda stinks. But that's the point of fish sauce. All that stink transforms into deep, meaty flavor when you cook it (especially if you let it fry it in a skillet). In Thai recipes this gives a depth of flavor you don't get from soy sauce. But I use it much more generally, in broths, congees, I'll even add a splash to the skillet when I cook impossible burgers, which really ups the meatiness It's really good stuff and worth the price. But know what you're getting into: fish sauce isn't famously mild in odor... and neither is this.

I've had a fish allergy for decades... I make most of my Thai food at home because of the fish sauce that is used in nearly every dish. Oh my. This is the first time I used this product. It hurts my soul it's so expensive. But honestly, this is the closest I've come to fish sauce in decades. You can actually taste that funky umami flavor in the curry. I never even came close to replicating that until this product. Serious thumbs-up. I just wish it cost less than it does.

I’ve tried other vegan choices but nothing comes close to this. Coming from a Lao girl who loves to eat thum & jeow (:

After reading a five star review from a Vietnamese I decided to give it a go. It's legit good and taste like the real thing.

Excellent flavour and so close to the original. Super-excited to have found this. It is pricey but well worth it.

I’ve recently become plant based and needed to find the best alternative to fish sauce. With no luck before, I’ve decided to do a lot of research to buy the best one. I came across this sauce, reading all the reviews and even just looking at the photo, it looked legit! A lot of the other vegan fish sauces were a dark opaque color but real fish sauce is a lighter color and is more translucent just like this one was. The price is a bit steep but after using it in person, it’s well worth it!!! So, my husband absolutely hates the smell of real fish sauce. He’s always complaining about it, the fact that this plant based fish sauce has him complaining about it too is proof that it’s just like the real thing! It smells and tastes just like fish sauce, I even did a comparison. I’m THRILLED to have found a plant-based alternative and it’s definitely worth the money for me!

I am a Vietnamese born who just recently became vegetarian, and have been looking for vegan ingredients that could help me recreate some of my fave dishes in vegetarian form. This vegan fish sauce tastes just like the real one, and even better to me. Can’t say enough how grateful I am to its creator. My only complaint is that it shouldn’t be so expensive ($25 ish for a small bottle) so I’ll look out for it at grocery stores to see if I can find it cheaper somewhere.

Having tasted plenty of "vegan fish sauces" and even just reading the ingredients of others, it is extremely clear that the companies making these are preying on people's ignorance of what fish sauce is, or supposed to be. THIS however truly is a vegan fish sauce. It hits all the notes one would expect. I've been vegan for almost 10 years now so I cannot say if it really truly emulates fish sauce. What I can say however is that it uniquely serves the same function that fish sauce would in the dishes I make. Though it is extremely expensive, I still rate it 5/5 stars for value for the money... Because it is simply the only option. If you are a vegan and you want to make drunken noodles that tastes like drunken noodles, this is your only choice. I have not encountered a comparable product despite searching far and wide for one. Oh and please note, it's supposed to smell like an armpit. Fish sauce doesn't smell good and fish sauce doesn't taste good by itself. Keep calm. It will work out.

I can’t believe how much this tastes like fish sauce! Now I can make certain recipes for my vegan daughter. Yay!

OMG, this stuff is adds incredible flavor to vegan dishes. Get it! Use it! You will love it.

The most realistic fish sauce I have found (have tried two others). Excellent flavor. Try using in Som Thai Green Papaya Salad. Just a delicious flavor with balance.

I can’t taste the difference when I use this for stir fries! I wing all measurements, but it’s the following for all stir fries Ingredients Garlic Vegan fish sauce Vegan oyster sauce Sugar Protein Veggie Black pepper Sautéed garlic until golden brown . Add a spoonful of sugar and mix a bit Add the oyster and fish sauce. (more oyster sauce than the fish sauce). Mix for a bit until a bit thick. Taste the sauce and it should be a bit on the saltier side, but balanced. If too salty add more sugar. Add protein and cook until desired. I like a bit of char and color. Then add veggies.

I unfortunately have a severe fish allergy, but love Vietnamese an other Asian dishes. This vegan fish sauce is really good, I would definitely recommend it!

I just had to laugh at the other reviewers saying that this smells awful, and they had to dump it down the drain. *sigh* This funky smell is familiar to anyone who knows authentic fish sauce. Why on earth would you purchase this if you've (obviously) never had fish sauce in your life? The funk and the saltiness are what you want in a fish sauce. This plant-based alternative is almost too good to be true. (TIP: BTW, if it's too salty, do what Asian moms do: dilute it with water! We don't have to use more than we need for our dishes. Often, one tablespoon for a large pot of broth or soup is enough to give it that salty, umami taste. If you want to use fish sauce as a dipping sauce, dilute it and add chopped Thai chili peppers, sugar, and MSG. A squeeze of lemon and chopped garlic can also add to the taste. This dipping sauce is called nuoc cham in Vietnam. Yeah, fish sauce is salty and smelly as heck. That's the way it's supposed to be!)

This tastes exactly like fish sauce. I have gout and can’t have the real thing but it really tastes exactly like fish sauce when used in a dipping sauce I make. It’s just very expensive. I wish it was cheaper