Narrator:
IN MANY EAST ASIAN CULTURES,
SALT IS NOT TRADITIONALLY USED
AS A CONDIMENT.
IN ITS PLACE,
COOKS USE HIGH-SODIUM SAUCES
SUCH AS FISH SAUCE.
IN THAILAND, FISH SAUCE
IS A KEY INGREDIENT
IN TRADITIONAL DISHES,
GIVING THEM A RICH
AND DISTINCTIVE
SAVORY TASTE.
USED IN COOKING
OR AS A DIPPING SAUCE,
THAI FISH SAUCE
BRINGS OUT THE FLAVORS
OF OTHER INGREDIENTS.
FISH SAUCE
IS MADE BY FERMENTING
TWO PARTS FISH
WITH ONE PART SALT.
OVER TIME, THE SALT
WILL NATURALLY EXTRACT WATER
FROM THE FISH'S FLESH,
CREATING THE SAVORY SAUCE.
THE FACTORY PROCESSES
100 TONS OF FISH EVERY DAY.
THEY USE WILD-CAUGHT ANCHOVIES
FROM THE GULF OF THAILAND.
ANCHOVIES HAVE A STRONG
FLAVOR,
SO EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS
CAN BE USED TO FLAVOR DISHES.
THEY MIX TWO PARTS FISH
WITH ONE PART NATURAL SEA
SALT.
THE INGREDIENTS FALL DOWN
A CHUTE INTO A ROTATING DRUM.
AS IT SPINS, IT EVENLY MIXES
THE SALT AND THE FISH.
THIS IS FASTER
THAN MIXING BY HAND,
ENSURING QUICKER
PROCESSING TIMES.
WHEN THE MIX IS READY,
IT'S TAKEN TO ONE OF THE 3,000
FERMENTATION WELLS ON-SITE.
THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL
IS ALREADY FILLED WITH SEA
SALT.
THEY ADD THE SALT-FISH MIXTURE
AND SPREAD IT AROUND
SO THAT THE SURFACE IS FLAT.
THEY FINISH
BY COVERING THE MIXTURE
WITH A THICK LAYER OF SEA
SALT.
EACH FERMENTATION WELL CAN
HOLD
10 TONS OF FISH AND SALT.
THEY COVER THE WELL
WITH A CEMENT CORRUGATED
SHEET.
THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE CAN
REACH
104 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THEY SOMETIMES
REMOVE THE COVER
TO EXPOSE THE SAUCE TO
SUNLIGHT.
FROM TIME TO TIME,
THEY SAMPLE THE SAUCE
FOR INSPECTION.
SALT CRYSTALS FORM NATURALLY
ON THE SURFACE.
AFTER 12 TO 18 MONTHS
OF FERMENTATION,
FIRST-GRADE SAUCE
IS PUMPED OUT
FROM THE BOTTOM
OF THE FERMENTATION WELL
WITH LAYERS OF SALT
ACTING AS A NATURAL FILTER.
FISH SAUCE IS STORED
IN LARGE FIBERGLASS TANKS.
EMPLOYEES TAKE SAMPLES
AND SEND THEM TO THE LAB
FOR QUALITY TESTING.
AFTER FILTERING AND SWEETENING
THE SAUCE SLIGHTLY
WITH 5% SUGAR,
THEY ARE READY FOR BOTTLING.
AFTER A VISUAL INSPECTION,
BOTTLES HEAD
TO THE FILLING AREA.
THE MACHINE GRABS EACH BOTTLE
AND FILLS IT FROM THE BOTTOM
UP.
FISH SAUCE DOES NOT NEED
TO BE PASTEURIZED
AS FILTRATION HAS ALREADY
ELIMINATED MOST BACTERIA.
ALSO, THE SAUCE
CONTAINS OVER 25% SALT.
THIS HIGH-SODIUM CONTENT
PREVENTS
ANY HARMFUL BACTERIA
FROM PROLIFERATING.
BECAUSE OF THE SAUCE'S
INTENSE FLAVOR,
IT IS GENERALLY
USED IN MODERATION.
SO BOTTLE CAPS
HAVE A SMALL DROPPER HOLE
TO FACILITATE USE
OF THE SAUCE DURING COOKING.
NEXT, BRUSHES APPLY
ADHESIVE LABELS TO THE BODY
AND NECK OF THE BOTTLE.
THIS FACTORY PRODUCES
THREE DIFFERENT GRADES
OF FISH SAUCE
FOR A TOTAL OF 15 MILLION
LITERS
EVERY YEAR.
AFTER A SECOND
VISUAL INSPECTION,
BOTTLES PROCEED
TO THE PACKING DEPARTMENT.
THE MACHINE PUSHES THEM
FORWARD,
ALIGNING THEM IN POSITION.
BY NOW, THE BOTTLE CAPS
HAVE BEEN SAFETY-SEALED.
A ROBOTIC CARRIER PICKS UP
36 BOTTLES TO FILL
THREE BOXES AT ONCE.
A METAL FRAME
KEEPS THE CARTON CASES OPEN
AS THE MACHINE
INSERTS THE BOTTLES.
THE TASTY SAUCE WILL BE
SOLD LOCALLY OR EXPORTED
TO ONE
OF 70 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
IN THE FOOD-SCIENCE
LABORATORY,
TECHNICIANS PERFORM
SEVERAL QUALITY-CONTROL TESTS.
THEY START BY MEASURING
THE SALT CONTENT
OF THE PRODUCT
AS THE SALT
WILL AFFECT THE TASTE
AND THE SHELF LIFE OF THE
SAUCE.
NEXT, THEY MEASURE
THE PROTEIN CONTENT.
FISH PROTEIN BREAKS DOWN
DURING THE FERMENTATION
PROCESS,
RELEASING A COMPOUND
CALLED GLUTAMATE.
GLUTAMATE INCREASES THE FLAVOR
INTENSITY OF THE SAUCE.
HIGHER LEVELS OF PROTEIN
GIVE A TASTIER,
HIGHER-GRADE SAUCE.
THEY ALSO CHECK
THE LEVELS OF HISTAMINE
TO MAKE SURE THEY COMPLY
WITH INTERNATIONAL
FOOD STANDARDS.
HIGH LEVELS OF HISTAMINE
COULD INDICATE SPOILAGE.
THEY END WITH A pH TEST.
GOOD FISH SAUCE
IS SLIGHTLY ACIDIC,
AND THE pH VALUE MUST REMAIN
WITHIN AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE.
PEOPLE NOW USE FISH SAUCE
NOT ONLY IN THAI DISHES,
BUT ALSO TO FLAVOR
THEIR OWN TRADITIONAL FOODS.
