Jin Chamchi Fish Sauce

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Flavor Profile/Texture:

Korean Soup Soy Sauce, Southeast Asian fish sauce, 3 crabs fish sauce

Is fish sauce necessary for kimchi?

Most authentic kimchi recipes include fish sauce, which adds umami taste. To make this kimchi plant-based, I tried two variations without fish sauce: in the first I simply omitted it, in the second I used miso paste instead. Both kimchi variations were delicious, and the recipes are included below!Aug 9, 2021.

Goes well with:

Korean Fish Sauce or Aekjeot (액젓) refers to a variety of different clear liquid condiments that are obtained from straining salted and fermented fishes such as anchovies.

The most common ones are Myeolchi Aekjeot 멸치액젓 (anchovy sauce), Kkanari Aejeot 까나리 액젓 (sand lance sauce), Chamchi Aekjeot 참치액젓 (tuna sauce). They are all made by salting these fishes and fermenting them.

It has a high salt content so it is often used as a part of the saline seasoning. Fish sauce has a salty and umami-packed flavor that lends itself well to making Kimchi, soups and stews.

Korean or Asian grocery store, general grocery stores online, Amazon.

Jin Chamchi Fish Sauce

The brands that I usually buy are CJs but I find that theres not a huge difference in flavor among different Korean brands – as long as it doesnt contain other additives or flavor enhancers. Look for ones that are just from fish, salt and water thats fermented – look for words like 자연숙성 (natural fermentation).

Use it in addition to salt in Kimchi. Just a little goes a long way. Use it in addition to Soup Soy Sauce (Guk Ganjang) to season various stews, soups and even namul.

The best way to store fish sauce is in its original air tight container in a cool dark place like the pantry. A constant temperature is also best. It can be stored in the refrigerator but it is not necessary.

Can contain up to about 50% the FDAs daily recommended amount of sodium per tablespoon serving – so please use sparingly.

Vitamin B12, Vitamin B-6, and Magnesium are present in small amounts.

FAQ

Is Korean fish sauce the same as Thai?

Korean fish sauce is typically used in Kimchi making to accelerate the fermentation process. On some occasions, it is also used in Korean side dishes and soup/stew to give extra umami. This is the picture of anchovy sauce I normally use.

What is Korean fish sauce called?

Though it is sometimes called ‘Korean Fish Sauce’, it is not really a ‘sauce’ at all and is NOT the same thing as Thai fish sauce – they CAN NOT be used interchangeably.

Is Korean fish sauce different?

In Korea, fish sauce is called eojang (어장). Across the Korean Peninsula, aekjeot (액젓, literally “liquid jeotgal”), a type of fish sauce usually made from fermented anchovies or sand lances, is used as a crucial ingredient in many types of kimchi, both for taste and fermentation.