So I go to H Mart a lot and I tend to find ingredients that I never seen or used before and this time I chose these. Tuna sauce and Red snow crab sauce. I read that tuna sauce is basically Korean version of Thai fish sauce but add in some dashi and soy sauce to the mix. And it’s good for adding umami to soup. But I’m not sure about the Red crab sauce though. If y’all have recommendations for recipes to use them in I’ll be thankful.
by Akagami-chan818
2 Comments
It’s tuna fish sauce. It’s got a katsuobushi flavor profile which basically makes it smoky. It’s not like thai (anchovy) fish sauce at all, well other than both being fish sauces. Thai fish sauce is very close to Korean anchovy fish sauce.
They are just fish sauces with different flavor profiles. Think of the crab one like shrimp sauce but with crab. They’re good in soups, stews, you can make dipping sauces with them, add them to marinades, banchan, there isn’t a real clear designation for when you should use them.
Tuna sauce adds umami and a more mellow fish sauce flavor than the typical ones found in big box grocery stores in the Asian aisle.
Some recipes you can try:
Korean Seaweed Soup (I call it Birthday soup aka Meyuk Guk)
Bean Sprout Soup (Kongnamul Guk)
Radish Soup (Mu Guk)
Most korean banchan/side dishes can take a dash of tuna sauce 😉
I’ve made soups, stews and side dishes with the brand of tuna sauce on the left, and it is excellent!! Helps make a soup base more rounded and extra flavor without overwhelming the dish.