Source: https://verify-veg.com/blog/vietnam-hidden-animal-ingredients/
Language: en

# Hidden Animal Ingredients in Vietnamese Food (Fish Sauce, Shrimp Paste)

Vietnamese food looks light and vegetable-forward, which makes it deceptively tricky for
vegetarians. The animal products are in the sauces and the broths, and the most famous dish of
all, the fresh spring roll, is usually hiding shrimp or pork.

> **Key Takeaways**
> - Fish sauce (nuoc mam) is the base of almost every savory dish and the dipping sauce.
> - Shrimp paste (mam tom) flavors many noodles and some soups.
> - Fresh spring rolls often contain shrimp or pork, and the dipping sauce is fish-sauce based.
> - "Chay" is the Vietnamese word for vegetarian/vegan, and chay restaurants are the reliable option.

**TL;DR: Vietnamese food hides animal products in fish sauce and shrimp paste.** Even fresh spring
rolls and their dipping sauce are usually not vegetarian. "Chay" restaurants are the plant-based
answer.

## Fish sauce: the base of everything

Fish sauce, nuoc mam in Vietnamese, is the foundation of Vietnamese seasoning. It is made from
fermented fish, and it goes into soups, marinades, stir-fries and, most importantly, the dipping
sauce called nuoc cham that accompanies almost every dish. HappyCow, the vegetarian restaurant
directory, lists fish sauce as the first hidden animal ingredient to watch across Southeast Asian
food
([HappyCow](https://www.happycow.net/blog/hidden-animal-ingredients-in-south-east-asian-food/),
retrieved 2026-08-25).

That means a "vegetable" dish is usually seasoned with fish sauce, and the clear dipping sauce on
the table is fish-sauce based.

## Shrimp paste: the second one

Shrimp paste, mam tom, is the other fermented animal ingredient. It flavors bun bo Hue (a spicy
noodle soup), some dipping sauces, and certain noodle dishes. It is less universal than fish sauce
but just as invisible.

## The fresh spring roll gotcha

Fresh spring rolls (goi cuon) are the classic surprise. The rice-paper rolls look like a clean
vegetable wrap, but they traditionally contain shrimp, pork, or both, and they are dipped in fish
sauce. A vegetable-only version exists, but you have to ask for it.

## Pho and the broths

- **Pho** is a beef (or chicken) broth noodle soup, so it is not vegetarian even without the meat slices.
- **Bun bo Hue** is beef and pork based, with shrimp paste.
- **Broken rice dishes (com tam)** usually come with pork.

## The "chay" shortcut

Vietnam has a strong vegetarian tradition, and "chay" is the word for vegetarian or vegan food.
Chay restaurants cook without meat, fish sauce or shrimp paste, often in the style of Buddhist
cuisine, and they are the reliable way to eat plant-based in Vietnam. A guide to reading Vietnamese
labels points to recognizing chay food and the animal-derived terms on packages as the key skills
([The Dharma Store](https://www.thedharmastore.com/blogs/vegan-posts/reading-vietnamese-food-labels-vegan-key-words),
retrieved 2026-08-25).

## How to order

1. Ask for "chay" (vegetarian/vegan) dishes.
2. Request "no fish sauce, no shrimp paste."
3. For spring rolls, ask for the vegetable-only filling and a soy-based dip.
4. Scan packaged Vietnamese sauces. A scanner app flags fish sauce and shrimp paste against your diet.

See our [Vietnam common-ingredients guide](/food/vietnam/common-ingredients/) for a fuller list.

## The bottom line

Vietnamese food hides animal products in its sauces and broths. Fish sauce is the big one, shrimp
paste the second, and fresh spring rolls are the dish most likely to surprise you. Chay restaurants
are the reliable answer.

**Check before you eat.** The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a
photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more).
[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verifyveg-vegan-scanner/id6758276834) -
Android is coming soon.

*Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food
against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.*

*Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and
preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.*