Local Specialty: The Making of Nuoc-mâm (Fish Sauce)

The rich waters of the South China Sea make the area around Phan Thiet and Mui Ne an important production center for the most emblematic of all Vietnamese condiments, nuoc-mâm. This pungent amber-colored sauce is produced by salting fresh anchovies, letting them ferment, then pressing them to obtain the liquid that becomes nuoc-mâm with aging. The longer the sauce ages, the nuttier and more savory it becomes. Integral to the dipping sauces that accompany many Vietnamese dishes, 
it is also used to season stir-fries.