What is Plain ras and Where to Find it?
Plain ras (or Padaek in Lao) is a fermented fish sauce. But unlike regular fish sauce (nam pla) which is also fermented, it is made from freshwater fish rather than anchovies. Plain ras can be made from a variety of fish, but Gourami is a common one. It is thicker, funkier and absolutely packed with umami.
Unlike regular fish sauce which is a commercial product that most people buy, plain ras is an ingredient many people still make still at home, though nowadays you can also buy it. But because it’s historically a homemade item, the flavour of different plain ras varies greatly depending on the recipe used. Some people add various herbs such as lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, others add pineapple juice or even pandan leaves.
Where to buy pla ra? You can find plain ras wherever you find your Thai ingredients. Most of the time it’ll be available at Asian grocery stores that carry a good amount of Southeast Asian ingredients. You can also buy it online; here’s the brand I use and like and it is a good beginner pla ra that isn’t overly funky and is well seasoned (not sponsored, but the company did send the product for me to try).
When shopping, the labelling can often be confusing as it often is labelled simply as “fish sauce.” So make sure the liquid inside is cloudy and thick, and the colour can vary from grey to brown. Ingredients should include fish, salt, and some seasonings, and it may also contain herbs, rice bran or some kind of rice product.
Note: The Vietnamese also have a similar product called mắm nêm, which is available at some Asian markets, and you can use it in place of PLA RA *in theory.* However, I don’t have much experience with it and don’t know the extent to which their flavours can vary between brands. So if possible I would stick to Thai brands to ensure the right flavours.
Tip for buying plain ras:
I prefer the more modern Thai brands of plain ras such as Ling tue krok (which I use), Sir Mike or E Pim. You can identify these by their more modern branding and a darker brown colour. These are good for plain ras beginners as they are less funky and are well seasoned. The more traditional recipes, which tend to be a lighter grey-ish colour, can be a bit intense if you’re not used to it.
