Thai · IV The Method
น้ำปลา (Nam Pla): Fish Sauce as Foundation
I
Origin
Nam pla (fish sauce) is the foundational seasoning of Thai cooking — not a flavour addition but the structural salt of the cuisine, replacing table salt in virtually every application. The specific amino acid and nucleotide profile of Thai fish sauce (made primarily from anchovies — pla raa — fermented with salt at 3:1 fish-to-salt ratio for 12–18 months) produces a umami depth that salt alone cannot provide. [VERIFY ratio and fermentation time]
II
Description
The complete fish sauce understanding — production, quality hierarchy, and application.
III
The Thread
—Vietnamese nước mắm (same production — regional variation in fermentation time and fish species), Korean Jeotgal (same fermented seafood principle — paste form rather than liquid), Roman garum (same f
IV
Flavour Context
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Pillars V — VII
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Quality hierarchy, sensory tests, and where the dish lives or dies — on every entry in the Library.
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