Funky, rich in umami and seriously, well, fishy, fish sauce is one of the punchiest ingredients a home cook can have in their arsenal. Made by preserving fish in salt and collecting the liquid they expel during the process, it's most commonly associated with the cuisines of Southeast Asia – although you'll also find something very similar in Italy, where colatura di alici has been the pride of Campania since Roman times.

Our collection of fish sauce recipes shows how just a small amount of this punchy condiment can add heaps of flavour to dishes. Thai food often benefits from a slug of fish sauce – try out dishes such as Wild salmon miang, Green nam jim or Sai oua from acclaimed restaurant Kiln. Vietnamese dishes such as Chicken pho noodle soup or this Morning glory stir-fry showcase exactly how important the condiment can be when balancing flavours, or why not try making your own Sriracha sauce with Helen Graves' recipe?

While the smell of fish sauce straight from the bottle may be a little overwhelming, once it's added to dishes the flavour mellows, adding incredible umami depth.