From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
A strong-flavored, salty liquid popular in Southeast Asia, used as both a substitute for salt and as a flavoring. There is good evidence that fish sauce came to Asia from the Roman Empire, where it was known as garum. In the Philippines it is called patis, in Japan shottsuru, in Thailand nam pla, in Vietnam nuoc nam. See also ketchup, padek.
