Norwegian Fish Sauce: A New Taste Experience from the Sea
Nofima scientists have developed methods to produce high-quality fish sauce from pelagic fish such as blue whiting and herring residual raw materials. This opens new possibilities in food production and can contribute to increased value creation in the Norwegian fishing industry.
“We have now documented that Norwegian raw materials and residual raw materials are well-suited for fish sauce production, and how we can develop interesting aromas and flavours through the fermentation process,” says senior scientist Mari Øvrum Gaarder at Nofima. She has led the research work.
Quality and Characteristics
The fish sauce, produced by the company Noumami, meets international quality standards and offers exciting taste experiences with a complex flavour profile.
The fermentation process lasted ten months for the fish sauces, made from either blue whiting or herring residual raw materials. The process yielded a protein content of almost 50 percent and contributed to the sauce’s characteristic taste and smell. Among the desired taste and aroma properties are umami, fermented flavour, and roasted aroma.
Finalist in the food competition Det norske måltid
Noumami’s fish sauce Jadarr, made from wild-caught herring, is already on the market and has been well-received, earning a finalist position in the Det norske måltid (The Norwegian Meal) 2025 competition.
Cookbook author and food influencer Elisabeth Le from Alt Asiatisk has tested two different sauces in the Fish Sauce project. After trying them in both hot and cold dishes, she expresses her impressions: “Both sauces are slightly saltier than what I’m used to, yet I’m truly impressed by both the taste and aroma. The variant that reached the finals in Det norske måltid is my favourite”.
Trung Van Nguyen, Noumami’s founder, explains the saltiness: “We use sea salt in our fish sauce, which provides a more prominent salt taste compared to regular table salt. This is why our fish sauce might be perceived as saltier, even though the salt concentration is similar to other fish sauces”.
Future Prospects
The project opens new possibilities for utilising pelagic fish and residual raw materials from the fishing industry, potentially contributing to increased value creation and more sustainable resource utilisation in Norwegian fisheries.
“Fish sauce is a product with great potential in the global food market. The fact that we can now produce this at high quality from Norwegian raw materials is very promising,” states Trung Van Nguyen, founder of Noumami.
He adds that the traditional fish sauce is made through a time-consuming fermentation process. This distinguishes it from other variants by having a sharper salt taste while providing a deeper umami in the aftertaste
From fish and fish residual raw materials to sauce
The researchers used blue whiting and herring residual raw materials mixed with salt, red mould bacteria, and enzymes. The mixture was fermented in large tanks for up to 10 months. During this period, samples were analysed for chemical composition, aroma compounds, and sensory properties.
“The fermentation process is crucial for the final product’s quality. We have succeeded in optimising this process for Norwegian raw materials and by-products,” explains researcher Tone Aspevik at Nofima.
The Nofima scientists and the companies are now fine-tuning the production process and exploring various applications for the product.
“We see great potential for Norwegian fish sauce in both domestic and international food markets. The global fish sauce market is estimated to exceed 15 billion dollars. This could become an exciting new product from the Norwegian fishing industry,” concludes Gaarder.
Research facts
The research was carried out in the project Fish Sauce. Funded by FHF – Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Research Funding. The project has been running from 2021 to 2024.
Partners in the project have been Pelagia and Noumami. The fish sauce produced in the project is produced by Noumami in collaboration with Nofima. All raw materials are supplied by Pelagia.
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Topics
Residual raw material
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