If patis has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 6 recipes to try it in.

What are patis?

Patis is Filipino fish sauce: the thin, amber, salty liquid that drains off small fish, usually anchovies, as they ferment with salt over months. It is the everyday seasoning of the Philippine kitchen, used the way Western cooks reach for salt.

A good patis smells sharply of the sea and tastes intensely salty and savory, with a deep umami that rounds out as it cooks. It is clearer and a touch lighter than many Southeast Asian fish sauces, the byproduct of making the fermented fish paste bagoong.

Filipinos keep a bottle on the table as well as in the pot. Mixed with calamansi and a crushed chili, it becomes a dipping sauce called sawsawan.

How to Use It

Use patis to season, not to flavor on its own. A tablespoon or two stirred into a simmering pot of soup, adobo, or sautéed greens adds salt and a savory backbone that plain salt cannot match.

It is the seasoning that defines sour Filipino broths. A splash goes into the tamarind-soured pot of Sinigang Na Manok (Chicken in Sour Broth) and Sinigang Na Bangus (Milkfish in Sour Broth), balancing the tartness with salt and depth.

It also seasons the filling and dip for Beef & Bean Sprouts Lumpia, and sharpens the rich, dark gravy of Dinuguan (Blood Stew).

At the table, combine it with calamansi or lime juice and a sliced bird chili for a bright, salty dip alongside grilled meat or fried snacks.

Cooking Notes and Common Mistakes

The smell raw is strong and fishy, which scares off first-timers. That aroma cooks away within a minute or two of simmering, leaving only savory depth, so do not judge it from the open bottle.

The most common mistake is oversalting. Patis is very salty, so add it first and salt the dish only afterward, once you have tasted. A heavy hand turns a balanced broth into something harsh.

Timing matters too. Add it early enough to simmer and mellow, not at the very end where its raw edge can dominate.

Substitutes

Any other fish sauce is the closest swap. Thai nam pla or Vietnamese nuoc mam work one for one, though both tend to be a little funkier and more concentrated, so taste as you go.

For a fish-free version, light soy sauce gives salt and umami but lacks the marine note; add a few drops of the brine from a jar of anchovies or capers to bridge the gap. Soy sauce thinned with a little water and a pinch of sugar approximates the body.

In Filipino recipes specifically, the fermented shrimp paste bagoong can stand in where a deeper, funkier seasoning is wanted, though it is thicker and saltier.

Buying and Storing

Look for patis in the Filipino or Asian section, sold in tall glass or plastic bottles. Hold it to the light: a clear amber liquid signals a well-made sauce, while a cloudy or very dark one is lower grade or aging.

Patis is shelf-stable thanks to its high salt content. An unopened bottle keeps for years, and an opened one is fine in a cool, dark cupboard, though the refrigerator slows any change in color and aroma.

Over time it may darken and the flavor may sharpen, which is harmless. A little salt crystallizing around the cap is normal and not a sign it has spoiled.

Quick facts

In Chinese

patis

British (UK) term

Patis

en français

patis

en español

patis

Recipes using patis

There are 6 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 6 recipes