When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, there's one seasoning you simply can't leave out: nuoc mam.
Much like soy sauce in Japan, it's a daily essential in Vietnamese households, used in stir-fries, simmered dishes, and dipping sauces alike.
この記事では、原材料表示、窒素度数、料理への使い分け、持ち帰り時の航空会社規定まで、買う前に判断できる情報を整理します。ナンプラーとの違いは国名だけで決めつけず、個々の商品表示で比べます。
Japanese travelersI've been curious about nuoc mam, but I haven't tried it yet…
Japanese travelersBuying a seasoning you're not familiar with can feel like a big step.
It has a fish sauce-like flavor that pairs perfectly with Vietnamese food! Learn what makes it distinctive, then start by trying a small amount at a restaurant.
What Is Nuoc Mam? A Staple Seasoning in Vietnam
ヌクマム（nước mắm）はベトナムの魚醤です。魚と塩を発酵・熟成させるのが基本ですが、魚種、容器、期間、抽出・ブレンド方法は産地と製品で異なります。すべてが木樽・同じ熟成期間とは限りません。
価格は容量、窒素度数、産地表示、ブランドで変わります。旧記事の「150ドン」は桁の誤りでもあるため削除し、店頭のVND表示を優先します。
Ingredients and production method
カタクチイワシ類と塩を主原料にする製品は多いものの、魚種や容器は地域・メーカーで異なります。魚由来の酵素と微生物の働きでたんぱく質が分解され、液体の魚醤になります。
熟成後の液体は抽出・ろ過され、製品によって後続抽出分や食塩水、糖類などを調整して瓶詰めされます。「上澄み＝すべて同じ一番搾り」とは限らないため、原材料と商品説明を確認してください。
Places known as famous production areas
Within Vietnam, the areas known as famous nuoc mam production regions are Cat Hai in the north, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet in the south, and Phu Quoc Island.
Since fish is the main ingredient, production is especially active in Vietnam's coastal regions.
Nuoc mam from Phu Quoc Island in particular is internationally recognized as top-grade.
What the "°N" Label Tells You About Umami Strength
「40°N」などの表示は、一般に1リットル当たりの全窒素量を示す指標です。たんぱく質由来成分の濃さを見る手がかりですが、塩分、香り、アミノ酸組成、好みまで一つの数字で決まるわけではありません。
数値が高い製品は濃厚な傾向がありますが、「高いほど必ずおいしい・高価」とは限りません。つけだれには香りのよい製品、加熱には料理全体とのバランスがよい製品というように、用途で選びます。
As a rule, lower-grade nuoc mam is used for cooking, while higher-grade nuoc mam is diluted with water and used as a dipping sauce.
How It Differs From Other Seasonings
There are other seasonings made from fermented fish or shrimp too. Let's look at how nam pla and mam tom compare.
How It Differs From Nam Pla
Both nuoc mam and nam pla are basically made from anchovies and salt, but they differ in production method and other ingredients.
ヌクマムとナンプラーを、塩の割合や熟成期間だけで一律に分けることはできません。どちらも魚と塩を基本にしつつ、魚種、抽出、糖類の有無、窒素量、地域の味づくりが商品ごとに異なります。
ナンプラーが必ず甘いとは限りません。ラベルの砂糖・果糖・カラメルなどを確認し、香りと塩味を少量で試してから料理に加えてください。
Mam Tom Is Another Famous Vietnamese Fermented Seasoning
Besides nuoc mam, Vietnam also has another fermented seasoning called mam tom.
Mam tom is a sauce made by salting and fermenting small shrimp.
with a grayish to purplish color, a thick texture, and a strong aroma. It might catch first-timers off guard, but it delivers a rich flavor packed with concentrated shrimp umami.
A classic dish featuring it is Hanoi's famous bun dau mam tom, where rice noodles, fried tofu, and meat are dipped in mam tom.
The appeal of nuoc mam lies in how easy it is to use. Like soy sauce in Japan, it works its magic in all sorts of situations.
What makes nuoc mam so appealing is its versatility. Like soy sauce in Japan, it comes in handy in all kinds of dishes.
The simplest way to use it is as a dipping sauce. Serve it with fresh spring rolls, fried spring rolls, boiled vegetables and the like.
It's used in dipping sauces for fresh spring rolls, fried spring rolls, and the noodle dish bun cha.
The dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls is called nuoc cham.
It's simply nuoc mam mixed with chopped chili, garlic, fresh lime juice, water, and sugar. The sweet, tangy, spicy flavor brings out the best in the dish.
Nuoc mam is a big help in stir-fries and braised dishes too.
Take fried chicken wings with nuoc mam flavor, for example. There's a dry type where you season with nuoc mam and the like before frying, and a moist type where you deep-fry plain and then toss in nuoc mam sauce. Both are superb — good with rice and as a drinking snack alike.
Nuoc mam-flavored fried chicken wings, for example, come in two styles: a dry version marinated in nuoc mam before frying, and a moist version that's fried plain and then tossed in nuoc mam sauce. Both are delicious as a side with rice or as a snack with drinks.
Nuoc mam is also the key flavor in fried tofu with scallion sauce, a staple of Vietnamese home cooking.
Let us introduce a few representative Vietnamese dishes in which nuoc mam plays a starring role.
Banh mi (Bánh mì)
Bun cha
The Vietnamese dish that combines rice noodles called bun with vegetables and grilled meat is known for its sweet-and-savory sauce.
Depending on the restaurant, bun cha sauce is typically made with a nuoc mam base plus vinegar, sugar, garlic, and chili.
Pho
The faint scent of fish stock drifting through the soup — that's the aroma of nuoc mam. This aroma has an almost magical power to draw people to the street stalls.
Adding a splash of the nuoc mam left on the table lets you adjust the flavor to your liking. Give it a try whenever you want a bit more saltiness or umami.
Banh Xeo
This too is eaten together with "nuoc cham," the nuoc-mam-based dipping sauce. The sweet-tangy sauce with lemon juice, sugar, garlic and chili added is an exquisite match for the crispy batter.
This dish is also enjoyed with nuoc cham, the nuoc mam-based dipping sauce. Its sweet-and-tangy blend of lemon juice, sugar, garlic, and chili pairs perfectly with the crispy batter.
Banh Mi
What defines the flavor of banh mi is the nuoc mam-based sauce and mayonnaise. Combined with liver pate, they create a complex, deeply satisfying taste.
Pho (Phở)
Once you've visited Vietnam, you'll want to buy nuoc mam to take home as a souvenir. Many people think that way.
There are a few things to keep in mind if you're bringing nuoc mam home as a souvenir.
Because nuoc mam has a strong smell, it's prohibited as carry-on baggage. It's not uncommon for it to be confiscated at the baggage check.
ヌクマムを一律に「機内持込み禁止」とは言えません。国際線の液体物規則に加え、航空会社が魚醤など臭いの強い液体の機内持込み・受託手荷物を独自に制限する場合があります。購入前に利用会社の最新規定を確認してください。
Once opened, nuoc mam should basically be stored in the refrigerator. As a fermented food it keeps relatively well, but to preserve the flavor, we recommend using it up sooner rather than later.
開封後の保存は商品ラベルに従います。高塩分でも品質が永遠に保たれるわけではなく、ふたを清潔に閉め、直射日光と高温を避けます。冷蔵指定や濁り・異臭などの注意表示があれば優先してください。
購入前の確認リスト
- 魚種、食塩、糖類、調味料などの原材料
- 窒素度数と、つけだれ／加熱の用途
- 製造者・原産地・PDOなど表示の根拠
- 瓶の密封、賞味期限、開封後の保存
- 利用航空会社の魚醤・液体物規定
EUではPhú Quốc（フーコック）の名称がPDOとして登録されていますが、地名らしいデザインだけで真正品とは判断できません。登録名称、製造者、原産地表示を確認してください。
Nuoc mam is a soul seasoning that Vietnamese cuisine cannot do without.
Nuoc mam is an indispensable seasoning in Vietnamese cuisine.
As a dipping sauce, as a seasoning for heated cooking, and as a secret ingredient in a dish — the ways to use it are limitless. At first the distinctive aroma may throw you off, but strangely, it has an appeal that leaves you hooked after using it a few times.
Refer to the "°N" mark on the bottle and choose according to your use. Start with a mid-range 35–40°N and you won't go wrong.
If you want to explore the depth of Vietnamese cuisine or try a new seasoning, give nuoc mam a try.
