In 2012, Phu Quoc fish sauce was granted a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, the first Southeast Asian food to be recognized.

[1] According to Cuong Pham, the crucial factors for producing Pho Quoc fish sauce are the locally-fished black anchovy, the salting process, and the humid climate of the area.

[2]: 20  Other Vietnames dac san products include Buon Ma Thuot coffee, Hải Dương mung beans, Lý Sơn garlic, Ninh Thuân grapes, and Thai Nguyen tea.

With increasing government subsidies of many industries in the period from 1975 to 1985, the local fish sauce craft lost market share to larger competitors, but later the popularity of the Phu Quoc-produced traditional product rebounded.

The sauce was traditionally made at home with anchovies which were too small to use in cooking, often by fishermen's or fishmongers' wives and daughters as a way to use less-salable portions of a day's catch.

They are allowed to ferment for a year or more in the sun, with liquid removed from the bottom through the tap and poured back over the top every day to filter through again, ensuring an even distribution of ingredients.

[4] Traditionally and since 2012 by law, Phu Quoc sauce is made exclusively from anchovies harvested from waters surrounding the island.

[8] According to The Atlantic, Phu Quoc fish sauce is one of Vietnam's few dac san, or specialty product, branding successes.

[1] In 2021, Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised the traditional making of Phu Quoc fish sauce as a national intangible cultural heritage[4] Phu Quoc fish sauce production is threatened by the declining anchovy population caused by overfishing and other environmental degradation.

How we missed it, dear Aunt, how nothing tasted right without it, how we longed for the grand cru of Phú Quốc Island and its vats brimming with the finest vintage of pressed anchovies!