Yes, fish sauce has free glutamate, and it's a significant component of its flavor profile.
Fish sauce is known for its umami flavor, and this is largely due to the presence of free glutamate. According to research, fish sauce boasts one of the highest free glutamate contents among common foods, rivaling that of parmesan cheese. Specifically, it can contain approximately 1300 mg of free glutamate per 100 mL of fish sauce.
The high concentration of free glutamate contributes significantly to the savory and complex taste that fish sauce adds to dishes. The fermentation process involved in making fish sauce breaks down proteins into their constituent amino acids, including glutamate, which is responsible for the umami taste.
Therefore, if you're looking to add umami to your cooking, fish sauce is a potent source of free glutamate.
