{"id":1507,"date":"2026-08-26T15:41:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/industry_news\/vietnam-fish-sauce\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T15:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:41:04","slug":"vietnam-fish-sauce","status":"publish","type":"industry_news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/industry_news\/vietnam-fish-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"A twenty-something who took over the family fish-sauce business with 240 jars: Vietnamese aging aims at Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the seashore of Nghi Son in Thanh Hoa province, a young maker born in 1997 has taken over the family fish-sauce business and is trying to grow sales at home and abroad through social media and online shops. His name is Nguyen Van Nam. He used to go out fishing but left the boat in 2019 to stand before the fermentation jars that have continued since his grandfather's generation. There are 240 ceramic jars, with fermentation lasting 24-48 months. The move to differentiate Vietnam's traditional condiment \"nuoc mam (fish sauce)\" through aging and story rather than price competition is something Japanese condiment buyers and food-OEM people cannot overlook either.<\/p>\n

A fisherman who left the boat bet on the family trade's 240 jars<\/h2>\n

Nam's brand is \"Ong Nam Ba Lang.\" He began selling small volumes on social media in 2018, got a good response, and formally quit fishing in 2019. The raw material is nearshore anchovy, with annual purchases of 250-300 tonnes. He prepares only salt and fish in ceramic jars and ages them for two to four years to draw off the first press. Nine people work in the workshop, and he also makes a shrimp paste (shrimp sauce) using about 30 tonnes of small shrimp a year. A new recipe product finally took shape in 2025 after being remade six times.<\/p>\n

\"I know that a business starts from a hard place to begin with, so I will walk this path to the end.\" Nam's words get at the essence of a fermentation business that builds value through time rather than equipment or capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Maker<\/td>\nNguyen Van Nam (born 1997)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Growing region<\/td>\nNghi Son, Thanh Hoa province<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brand<\/td>\n\u00d4ng N\u0103m Ba L\u00e0ng<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Production method<\/td>\n240 ceramic jars, fermentation 24-48 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Raw materials<\/td>\nAnchovy 250-300 tonnes\/year; small shrimp about 30 tonnes\/year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Setup<\/td>\nNine employees; sold via social media and online<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Fermentation sold on \"years of aging,\" not \"cheapness\"<\/h2>\n

Vietnamese fish sauce has polarized between cheap industrially produced product and hand-crafted product that touts its origin and aging. What Nam chose is the latter, and his way of selling is new. Rather than lining up on wholesale shelves and competing on price, he shows the maker's face and photos of the jars on social media and delivers directly through online shops. This \"D2C (direct-to-consumer)\" model overlaps with the case of a long-established Phu Quoc island nuoc mam going to Australia and with the trend of regional makers raising unit prices through their origin story.<\/p>\n

The same pattern of \"unearthing value that had been discarded or buried\" is occurring across Vietnam. Women in Lam Dong who gave up legal careers to turn to cacao production and aim to export to Japan<\/a> and Dong Thap's move to obtain a growing-area code and ship dried mango to Japan<\/a> both share the common thread of \"taking an unknown primary product outward through story and specification.\"<\/p>\n

What it means for Japan's condiment and OEM stakeholders<\/h2>\n

Japan has its own fish-sauce culture too, such as ishiru and shottsuru, and demand for ethnic condiments is growing in foodservice and prepared foods. Vietnamese nuoc mam has room to come in both as a commercial raw material and as a specialty retail condiment. What matters here is the existence of makers like Nam who can clearly state their years of aging and jar fermentation. For a Japanese food company that wants to create a private brand, a supplier that can tell a story about its method is easier to build into a brand than one that competes on price alone.<\/p>\n

At the same time, there are walls to exporting. Standards for salt content and histamine, label display, and guaranteeing stable supply are things smaller makers tend to stumble over. Put the other way, if the Japanese side can accompany them in meeting specifications and in joint development, there is room to build an exclusive procurement relationship.<\/p>\n

OCOP and exports: a realistic road map ahead<\/h2>\n

Nam is currently preparing to obtain the regional-specialty certification \"OCOP\" and is at a stage where exports are also in view. OCOP serves as a foothold to expand domestic sales channels and credibility, but it does not by itself meet overseas standards. Realistically, it becomes a two-stage approach of first building a track record in domestic department stores, e-commerce and tourist souvenirs, while in parallel putting in order the documents and inspection systems that export destinations require.<\/p>\n