Household Ingredients Compared › Fish Sauce (Singapore)

Fish sauce: what's actually in it?

Fish sauce is anchovies, salt and time — and then, in most bottles sold in Singapore, water and sugar, and sometimes fructose and hydrolysed protein. The Thai shelf (Squid, Tiparos, Cock, Dek Som Boon) and the Vietnamese shelf (Three Crabs, Chin-Su, Red Boat) are different traditions: Thai nam pla is usually anchovy extract plus water, salt and sugar; Vietnamese nuoc mam ranges from the two-ingredient Red Boat to the fructose-and-hydrolysed-protein Three Crabs. The anchovy share on the label is the honest quality signal: Squid's 77% against Tiparos' 65% extract and Three Crabs' 49%.

This page does not give a health score or a "best" pick. It shows the ingredient list as printed and flags added sugar, salt and allergens.

The headline, in 30 seconds

The purest bottles are two ingredients. Red Boat 40°N is anchovy and sea salt only — but its Singapore availability was not confirmed in this pass, so it is not panelled.
Squid Brand is the anchovy leader on this page. Anchovy 77%, salt 20%, sugar 3% — the highest anchovy share of any panelled fish sauce, and the only one with per-100ml nutrition verified from a retailer panel.
Tiparos leads with water. Water, anchovy extract 65%, salt, sugar — a deliberately diluted, cheaper everyday sauce, and the best-selling Thai fish sauce in Singapore's supermarkets.
Three Crabs is the fructose one. Anchovy extract 49%, salt, water, fructose 2%, hydrolysed vegetable protein — the hydrolysed protein is a flavour enhancer in the same family as MSG, and the anchovy share is the lowest panelled here.
Cock Brand sits between Squid and Tiparos. Anchovy extract 68%, salt 27%, sugar 5% — more anchovy than Tiparos, more salt and sugar than Squid.
Squid's vegan bottle has no fish at all. Water, kombu, salt, organic shiitake, organic sugar, citric acid — a seaweed-and-mushroom seasoning sauce, panelled as its own product.

At a glance

Product	Pack size (as printed)	Country of manufacture (as printed)	Anchovy	First ingredient	Sweetener	Flavour enhancer?
Squid Brand Fish Sauce	300 ml / 725 ml	Thailand (OFF: origin and manufacturing place)	77%	Anchovy	Sugar 3%	No
Squid Brand Premium (Gold Label)	725 ml	Thailand (brand)	80%	Anchovy extract	Sugar 3% (or none — conflict)	No
Tiparos Fish Sauce	300 ml / 700 ml	Thailand (JJ Foodservice)	65% extract	Water	Sugar	No
Cock Brand Fish Sauce	700 ml	Thailand (pack photo / retailer)	68% extract	Anchovy extract	Sugar 5%	No
Dek Som Boon (Healthy Boy) Fish Sauce	300 ml	not stated	50%	Anchovy	Sugar 3%	No
Three Crabs Fish Sauce	300 ml / 682 ml	Vietnam (retailer) — conflicted, see research notes	49% extract	Anchovy extract	Fructose 2%	Yes — hydrolysed vegetable protein
Chin-Su Fish Sauce	500 ml	Vietnam (retailer)	Fish extract	Fish extract	Sugar	Yes — E621, E635
Squid Brand Vegan Fish Sauce	180 ml	not stated	None (no fish)	Water	Organic sugar 2%	No

Panelled with verbatim lists: 8 products. Seen but not verified: 13 products. Checked 12 November 2026. No prices are shown here: they change weekly and would go stale.

Panelled products

Squid Brand Fish Sauce, 300ml / 725ml

Pack size: 300 ml / 725 ml · Made in: Thailand (OFF: origin and manufacturing place) (as printed)

Ingredients (Open Food Facts + Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer) + Amazon UK retailer panel (nutrition)): Anchovy Extract (77%), Salt (20%), Sugar (3%)

Origin: Thailand (OFF: origin of ingredients and manufacturing place both Thailand). No added MSG, no added preservatives, no added colours (brand). Per-100ml nutrition from the Amazon UK retailer panel: energy 56 kcal, fat 0g, carbohydrate 3.0g, sugars 2.8g, protein 11g, salt 27.2g — the protein figure (11g) is strikingly high against Tiparos' 1.1g and should be confirmed on the SG pack; it is quoted as printed, not adjusted. Origin: Thailand Allergen: fish Via: OFF + retailers

Squid Brand Premium Fish Sauce (Gold Label), 725ml

Pack size: 725 ml · Made in: Thailand (brand) (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary; SG availability via import channels)): Anchovy Extract (80%), Salt (17%), Sugar (3%)

Conflict flagged: a second Wai Yee Hong listing for the 300ml premium bottle gives 'Anchovy Extract (80%), Salt (20%)' with no sugar at all, and the brand's own site describes the gold label as sugar-free. The 725ml list above (80/17/3) is panelled; the 300ml list (80/20, no sugar) conflicts with it. SG pack must settle this — the two sizes may genuinely differ, or one listing may be wrong. Origin: Thailand (brand) Allergen: fish List conflicted Via: UK retailer

Tiparos Fish Sauce, 300ml / 700ml

Pack size: 300 ml / 700 ml · Made in: Thailand (JJ Foodservice) (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong + Tuk Tuk Mart (UK retailers — secondary) + JJ Foodservice (nutrition)): Water, Anchovy (Fish) Extract (65%), Salt, Sugar

Origin: Thailand (JJ Foodservice). No MSG, no preservative, no colours added. Per-100ml nutrition: energy 77 kcal, fat 0g, carbohydrate 8g, sugars 7g, salt 24.64g. Protein conflict: Tuk Tuk Mart gives protein 1.1g per 100ml while JJ Foodservice gives 11.0g per 100ml — a tenfold difference that looks like a decimal error in one source. Both figures are recorded here; the SG pack must settle it. The table uses 1.1g with the conflict flagged. Origin: Thailand Allergen: fish Protein conflicted Via: UK retailers

Cock Brand Fish Sauce, 700ml

Pack size: 700 ml · Made in: Thailand (pack photo / retailer) (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary)): Anchovy Extract (68%), Salt (27%), Sugar (5%)

No preservative added (retailer). Anchovy share between Squid (77%) and Tiparos (65%); salt and sugar shares are the highest of the three Thai sauces panelled. SG pack not verified. Allergen: fish Via: UK retailer SG pack unverified

Dek Som Boon (Healthy Boy) Fish Sauce (Green Label Nam Pla), 300ml

Pack size: 300 ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary)): Anchovy (50%), Salt (29%), Water (18%), Sugar (3%)

The saltiest recipe panelled here by share (salt 29%) and the lowest anchovy share of the Thai sauces (50%). No preservative, no MSG, no artificial colour (retailer). SG pack not verified. Allergen: fish Via: UK retailer SG pack unverified

Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam Nhi), 300ml / 682ml

Pack size: 300 ml / 682 ml · Made in: Vietnam (retailer) — conflicted, see research notes (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary) + Prospre/USDA (per-serving nutrition)): Anchovy Extract (49%), Salt, Water, Fructose (2%), Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein

Vietnamese-style nuoc mam. The 300ml listing gives the fuller form: 'Anchovy Extract (Anchovy, Salt, Water) (49%), Fructose, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (Corn)'. Contains anchovy and corn. A taste-test source notes conflicting sodium figures for this brand (1800mg vs 1540mg per tablespoon) — see nutrition conflicts. SG pack not verified. Allergen: fish, corn Via: UK retailer SG pack unverified

Chin-Su Fish Sauce, 500ml

Pack size: 500 ml · Made in: Vietnam (retailer) (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary)): Fish Extract (Anchovies, Salt), Water, Salt, Sugar, Flavour Enhancers (E621, E635), Acidity Regulators (E260, E330), Artificial Salmon Flavouring, Preservatives (E211, E202), Thickener (E415), Colours (E150a, E120)

The longest, most additive-heavy list on this page — flavour enhancers, two preservatives, thickener, two colours and artificial salmon flavouring. A useful contrast to the three-ingredient Thai sauces. SG availability via import channels; SG pack not verified. Allergen: fish Via: UK retailer SG pack unverified

Squid Brand Vegan Fish Sauce, 180ml

Pack size: 180 ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Wai Yee Hong (UK Asian grocer — secondary)): Water (58%), Kombu (21%), Salt (10%), Organic Shiitake (9%), Organic Sugar (2%), Citric Acid Monohydrate (E330)

No fish at all — a plant-based seasoning sauce using kombu and shiitake for umami. Gluten free, no MSG. Panelled as its own product; it is not a fish sauce in the ingredient sense, and must not be compared as one. Vegan No fish Via: UK retailer SG pack unverified

Seen but not verified — do not panel until checked

Red Boat 40°N and 50°N — two ingredients (anchovy, sea salt), 4g protein per tablespoon; sold in Singapore via Shopee/Lazada/RedMart listings, but no SG-verified ingredient list or pack was retrieved in this pass; not panelled.
MegaChef Fish Sauce — Thai premium brand sold in Singapore; no ingredient list retrieved.
Golden Boy Fish Sauce — Thai brand; no SG ingredient list retrieved.
Flying Lion Fish Sauce — Vietnamese brand; no SG ingredient list retrieved.
Ayam Brand Fish Sauce — listed in SG retail coverage; no ingredient list retrieved.
FairPrice house-brand fish sauce — listed at FairPrice; no ingredient list retrieved.
Knorr Fish Sauce — listed in SG retail coverage; no ingredient list retrieved.
Pantai / Pantai Norasingh Fish Sauce — Thai brand sold in Singapore; no SG ingredient list retrieved.
Lucky Fish Sauce — Thai budget brand; no SG ingredient list retrieved.
Squid Brand Fish Sauce 60ml sachet / small bottles — same product in smaller sizes; not panelled as separate rows.
Tiparos Fish Sauce and Distilled Vinegar Twin Pack — bundle; the fish sauce component is the panelled Tiparos list, the vinegar is a separate product.
Fermented Fish Sauce (pla ra) — e.g. Jawirat brand, fermented three-spot gourami with shrimp paste; a different product from clear fish sauce, not panelled here.
Samui Vegan Fish Sauce — plant-based; no SG-verified list retrieved.

Nutrition — what the numbers say

All figures in the first table are as sold, per 100 g / 100 ml. Salt and sodium: salt = sodium × 2.5. The table shows sodium as printed (in mg) with the salt equivalent in brackets. Sodium is not presented as salt, and salt is not presented as sodium.

Total vs added sugars: most Singapore packs list total sugars, not added sugars. A total-sugars figure is never labelled here as “added sugar”. Where a source states an added-sugars figure separately, it is noted. The ingredient list remains the evidence for added sugar (sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, molasses, honey) versus naturally occurring sugars (fructose in fruit, lactose in milk).

Open Food Facts is a community database and is flagged as secondary where used: the pack and the retailer nutrition section take precedence if they disagree. Figures marked “not stated” were not in the source retrieved; they are not estimated, borrowed from another variant, or copied across flavours. No Nutri-Grade is quoted or assigned on this page: Nutri-Grade applies to drinks, and none of these products carries a printed Nutri-Grade on its Singapore pack as verified in this pass.

Product ↕	Energy ↕	Protein ↕	Total fat ↕	Saturated fat ↕	Carbohydrate ↕	Sugars ↕	Sodium (salt equiv.) ↕
Squid Brand Fish Sauce	56 kcal	11 g	0 g	0 g	3.0 g	2.8 g	10880 mg (salt 27.2 g)
Tiparos Fish Sauce	77 kcal	1.1 g	0 g	0 g	8 g	7 g	9856 mg (salt 24.64 g)

Click a column header to sort low to high; click again for high to low. “not stated” always sorts last — it is missing data, not zero.

Per-serving figures only (not per 100g/ml — do not compare with the table above)

Product	Serving size	Energy	Protein	Total fat	Saturated fat	Carbohydrate	Sugars	Sodium (salt equiv.)
Three Crabs Fish Sauce	15 ml	6 kcal	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated

These figures are quoted exactly as printed, per serving, and are never converted to per-100g/ml by guessing.

Conflicts flagged, not silently resolved: Tiparos protein — Tuk Tuk Mart gives 1.1g per 100ml, JJ Foodservice gives 11.0g per 100ml. One of them has a decimal error; the table uses 1.1g and flags the 11.0g figure. Squid protein (11g per 100ml, Amazon UK panel) is also high and should be confirmed on the SG pack. Three Crabs sodium — a taste-test source reports conflicting labels (1800mg vs 1540mg per tablespoon); no per-100ml figure was verified, so Three Crabs appears only in the per-serving table with energy only.

Seen but not verified (nutrition):

Cock Brand, Dek Som Boon (Healthy Boy), Three Crabs (per-100ml), Chin-Su — no per-100ml nutrition panels verified.
Squid Brand Premium (Gold Label) — no nutrition panel verified.
Squid Brand Vegan — no nutrition panel verified.
Red Boat, MegaChef, Golden Boy, Ayam, FairPrice house brand — not panelled, so no nutrition tabled.

How to read a fish sauce label — the jargon, in plain English

Nam pla / nuoc mam: Thai (nam pla) and Vietnamese (nuoc mam) names for fish sauce. Both are fermented anchovy sauces; Thai versions are usually saltier and more pungent, Vietnamese versions range from very pure to sweetened and enhanced.
Anchovy extract %: The share of anchovy extract in the bottle. Higher generally means more concentrated fish flavour and more protein per spoon — Squid 77%, Cock 68%, Tiparos 65%, Dek Som Boon 50%, Three Crabs 49%.
Degrees N (°N): Grams of nitrogen per litre, a proxy for protein content. Red Boat labels 40°N and 50°N; most everyday sauces do not declare it.
Hydrolysed vegetable protein / hydrolysed wheat protein: A flavour enhancer made by breaking down vegetable protein; it adds savoury (umami) taste in the same way as MSG. Three Crabs lists it; Squid and Tiparos do not.
Fructose: A sugar used as the sweetener in Three Crabs instead of table sugar (sucrose). It is still an added sugar.
First press / first extract: The first, most concentrated run-off from the fermentation barrels. Squid's premium/gold label is marketed as first extract.
Pla ra: Thai fermented fish sauce made from freshwater fish (e.g. gourami) with shrimp paste — cloudy, pungent, and a different product from clear anchovy fish sauce.

What this page is not

Not a health score, and not a "best" pick. This page does not rank products.
Not a taste test, and not a price comparison. Prices change weekly; ingredients change less often, but still change.
Not complete. The products in seen-but-not-verified are not yet panelled, for the verification reasons given, not hidden.

Sources and method

Checked 12 November 2026 from: Wai Yee Hong UK Asian grocer listings (Squid, Squid Premium, Tiparos, Cock, Dek Som Boon, Three Crabs, Chin-Su, Squid Vegan — ingredients, with stated shares); Open Food Facts (Squid Brand 725ml — origin Thailand, ingredients); Amazon UK retailer panel (Squid per-100ml nutrition); Tuk Tuk Mart and JJ Foodservice (Tiparos per-100ml nutrition, conflicting protein figures flagged); Prospre/USDA (Three Crabs per-serving energy); Hot Thai Kitchen and Foody NZ taste test (Red Boat two-ingredient list, Three Crabs sodium conflict, brand context). Singapore availability of Red Boat, MegaChef, Golden Boy, Ayam and FairPrice house-brand fish sauce is from SG retail listings, but no SG pack lists were retrieved for them. Cold Storage publishes no ingredient list on any product page. No pack photos were available for this pass.