It’s ideal for adding umami depth to chopped liver for kosher Jews (I call for some in the gateway chicken liver pate recipe on page 46 of the Banh Mi Handbook). It may be a good starting point for individuals new to fish sauce because of its pleasant flavor and high quality.
What can I replace fish sauce with?
Fish sauce can be replaced with soy sauce, which is prepared from fermented soybeans, water, salt, and wheat. It’s also vegan-friendly (5).
Soy sauce has a strong umami flavor with a hint of sweetness thanks to the amino acids found in soybeans.
You can replace fish sauce with soy sauce 1:1, or combine other components with soy sauce for added flavor:
- Anchovy, minced 1 minced anchovy fillet and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce
- Vinegar of rice. For added freshness, use a 1-to-1 mixture of soy sauce and rice vinegar.
- Lime juice is a refreshing drink. For every 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of soy sauce, add 1/2 teaspoon lime juice.
Is kosher fish sauce available?
The popularity of Asian cuisines outside of traditional Chinese and Japanese dishes has exploded in North America during the last few decades.
“Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Memoir, Recipes, and More, adds, “The American palate and sophistication have evolved considerably since I was a youngster.” Jacob was born and reared in China to Iraqi-Jewish parents. Jacob’s mother used to prepare Chinese and Japanese dishes when he was growing up in Vancouver, Canada, but now he also cooks Thai, Cambodian, Filipino, and Korean dishes.
Fortunately, Asian food is generally adaptable to changing seasons, ingredient availability, and the preferences of the cook or diner. Asian cuisine are very simple to adapt for a kosher kitchen because dairy ingredients are rarely used. Cooking Asian foods in a kosher kitchen is explained by seasoned chefs.
Pork can be substituted with beef, veal, or lamb. Molly Yeh, a food blogger, recalls how her family was always “stayed with chicken We’d cook chicken buns instead of steamed pork buns,” she explains. Yeh also produces ground turkey potstickers.
To simulate pork, freelance writer Allaya Fleischer uses a one-to-one ratio of ground turkey and ground beef. “To help give it a boost, I add a little extra sugar, some Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and nutritional yeast,” she reveals.
Because many brands sold in Asian markets lack a hechsher (kosher certification), finding kosher products can be difficult.
A good assortment of kosher-certified ingredients can be found at a mainstream supermarket or kosher market, according to Wendy Bazil, a cooking consultant and instructor. “I also concentrate on what we can have rather than what we can’t,” she adds. “Making some of the sauces yourself…is a terrific method to ensure that foods contain only the ingredients you want…while leaving out the ones you don’t.” Bazil favors ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and sesame seeds as spices, herbs, and aromatics. She even plants Thai basil and shiso leaves herself.
Despite the fact that fish is pareve, Red Boat is the only fish sauce brand with kosher certification (at the time of writing). Fleischer’s family owned a farm and was self-sufficient in Thailand, where she was bornthey even produced their own fish sauce! She no longer makes fish sauce because she now lives in a tiny New York apartment, but she does offer this kosher substitute: “I use one part shiro (white) miso to two parts Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to replace fish sauce. The miso imparts a fermented ‘fishiness’ quality to this dish, while the Liquid Aminos contribute saltiness while rounding out the tastes.”
Shellfish is widely used in Asian cuisine. In a meal like lobster Cantonese, however, fish fillets (sole or flounder) are just as good without compromising flavor or texture. Mock shrimp, crab, and scallops (made from fish or vegetables) work well as substitutes as well.
Oyster sauce is a popular condiment that is not kosher. However, mushroom sauce is as delicious. Bazil recommends serving roasted mushrooms with any dish that calls for oyster sauce, such as baby bok choy or cabbage.
If you don’t want to mix fish and meat in the same dish, the simplest option is to cook fish in vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and meat dishes in soy sauce (or vegan fish sauce, as described below). However, because fish sauce is a key component in many Southeast Asian recipes like pad Thai and Vietnamese pho, things may get problematic.
Fleischer would rather forego the meat and concentrate on the flavor (when kosher fish sauce is available). In these meals, Bazil utilizes white fish, tofu, or simply veggies. “A lot of people nowadays don’t mind skipping meat,” she explains. “Pad Thai with tofu is my favorite.”
Tofu is neither dairy nor meat, and it can be used with any meal in a kosher kitchen. Some companies sell pre-packaged pareve tofu.
Jacob enjoys making her mother’s zongzi (rice dumplings often filled with pork) without the filling. “No filling is present. Dinner is similar to pancakes, but with fluffy, hot, sticky rice and sugar. So good!”
As blogger Yeh did as a child, picky eaters can cling to “simple, carby cuisine.”
Matzah balls, challah, noodles, and dumplings were my favorites from both Ashkenazi and Chinese cuisines.”
Of course, cooking plant-based meals can make kosher cooking a lot easier. Some recipes from my new booklet, Farm to Table Asian SecretsVegan and Vegetarian Full-Flavored Recipes for Every Season, can be found in the Recipe Collection.
Wendy Bazil recommends the following kosher brands: “Trader Joe’s, Eden, Marukan, San J, Pearl River Bridge I routinely check the labeling since companies change and either stop or start selling kosher products.”
San-J reduced sodium tamari, Roland roasted sesame oil, Roland coconut milk, sriracha chile paste, and Lee Kum Kee vegetarian hoisin sauce are among the goods Allaya Fleischer keeps in her cupboard.
Is Worcestershire Sauce Halal?
The use of fish as a meat sauce is a famous example of the ban against eating meat and fish together, thus it is prohibited. As a result, genuine Worcestershire sauce is marked “Kosher -Fish.”
Is Worcestershire sauce a fish sauce substitute?
In that bottle, there’s a lot going on. That translates to a lot of flavor. Worcestershire sauce is a cousin to fish sauce or soy sauce that the family had forgotten about. We forget about it, toobut, at the end of the day, Worcestershire can be used to flavor anything saucy in the same way that soy or fish sauce can.