Rich and flavorful vegetarian fish sauce with cashew nuts.

In a region renowned for its vegetarian culture and Cao Dai religion, a type of fish sauce made not from fish but extracted from fresh cashew nuts won first prize at the Tay Ninh Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 2024-2025.

Not only is it a health- and environmentally friendly product, but the cashew nut fish sauce from Vuong Ngoc Vegan Co., Ltd. (Hoa Thanh ward) also opens up a new direction for local agricultural products, contributing to the list of vegetarian specialties with unique flavors of Tay Ninh province.

Ms. Au Vuong Ngoc introduces vegetarian products made from cashew nuts.

From traditional fermented fish paste to modern vegetarian products.

Once considered agricultural waste, cashew nuts are often left in the garden after each harvest. But for Vuong Ngoc Vegan Company, this is the beginning of an innovative journey. Instead of focusing on exploiting the value of cashew nuts, the company chooses to process the fresh cashew fruit into vegetarian fish sauce. This is quite a challenge, as cashew fruit easily develops a pungent taste and is difficult to preserve if not processed correctly.

What Vuong Ngoc Vegan Company does is inherit the spirit of traditional vegetarian fish sauce but in a more modern and systematic way. From a simple folk dish, the company has developed it into a standardized commercial product, linked to the local agricultural value chain, targeting consumers who are looking for green, clean, and sustainable food.

“Tay Ninh is an agricultural province, and many people make a living from cashew cultivation. We chose to partner with farmers, utilizing their readily available agricultural products to create new, valuable products,” shared Ms. Au Vuong Ngoc, Director of Vuong Ngoc Vegan Co., Ltd.

From initial challenges, cashew nut fish sauce was born, with a natural reddish-brown color, a mild yet rich flavor, suitable for vegetarians, dieters, and those pursuing a healthy lifestyle. To produce 100 liters of pure fish sauce, 300 kg of fresh cashew nuts are needed, undergoing a process of processing, blending, and natural fermentation for over 4 months. The finished product is then filtered, seasoned according to a unique formula, and bottled to meet food safety and hygiene standards.

Many people are surprised when they try fish sauce made from cashew nuts. "It doesn't have the smell of sea fish, but it's rich enough to be used as a dipping sauce for vegetables or in braised dishes. The flavor is just as good as fish sauces made from fermented fish," commented Ms. Vu Kim Hien, a customer.

Connecting farmers and sharing benefits with cashew growers.

Vegetarian fish sauce is made by Vuong Ngoc Vegan Co., Ltd. from fresh cashew nuts.

Beyond simply creating new products, Vuong Ngoc Vegan Company has also built a value chain closely linked with cashew farmers in Tay Ninh. The company signs contracts to purchase fresh cashews at a stable price of 3,000 VND/kg and provides technical support and fermentation equipment for farmers to directly participate in the fish sauce fermentation process. The company then buys back the raw fish sauce after fermentation at 50,000 VND/liter, helping cashew farmers increase their income by 15-20 million VND per hectare per harvest.

According to Ms. Au Vuong Ngoc, selecting ingredients from local agricultural products not only helps control quality but also creates a unique identity for the product.

"I've always wanted to work alongside farmers in Tay Ninh, to help them prosper from the products of this land. Cashew nuts were previously overlooked, but when processed correctly, they can become a specialty favored by consumers," said Ms. Au Duong Ngoc.

Once considered a waste product, cashew nuts have now become an ingredient in the production of many vegetarian products: fish sauce, fermented fish paste, dried cashews, wine, and vinegar. This is not only the "revival" of a fruit but also a practical step towards reducing agricultural waste, increasing economic value, and promoting a circular economy model in agriculture.

After establishing a standardized production process and ensuring consistent product quality, Vuong Ngoc Vegan's cashew nut fish sauce began appearing in many vegetarian food stores, tourist attractions, and supermarkets nationwide.

In particular, the company initially exported its products to the US and EU markets and is completing the procedures to obtain Halal certification to expand to Muslim countries. The production line has a capacity of approximately 150,000 bottles per day and is aiming for 2 million liters of fish sauce per year.

Cashew nut fish sauce is gradually becoming a new signature product of Tay Ninh, bringing both economic value and contributing to the story of the land and people of this region.

Hoa Khang - Khai Tuong

Source: https://baolongan.vn/dam-da-huong-vi-nuoc-mam-chay-trai-dieu-a199815.html