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Mahyaveh substitute

Best substitute

Fish sauce with toasted spices (best overall)

Use the same amount for the finished mixture as the mahyaveh you are replacing

Best for dipping sauce for taftoon or lavash

Close match

Standard fish sauce rebuilt into mahyaveh with the spice mix that defines it.

Other mahyaveh substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

Substitutes for Mahyaveh with ratios

  1. 2Plain fish sauce

    Taste and texture differ

    ¾ the amount of mahyaveh called for

    Fermented anchovy sauce from Thailand or Vietnam, the closest thing on a normal shelf.

    What changes
    Best for
    stews and braises where other spices are already present, seasoning rice, quick fixes mid-recipe

    The fermented fish backbone is genuinely the same idea, which is why this works at all. What changes: it tastes sharper, saltier and more one-note, with a thin brininess instead of mahyaveh's rounded, almost gravy-like body, and there is no spice perfume at all. In a cooked dish with cumin and turmeric already in the pot you may barely notice. As a bread dip on its own, plain fish sauce tastes harsh and unfinished, so spice it.

  2. 3Colatura di alici or garum

    Close match

    Use the same amount

    Italian anchovy drippings, an unspiced fermented fish liquid with a long slow ferment behind it.

    What changes
    Best for
    dishes where you want fermented depth without Southeast Asian sharpness, fish, dressings

    The best match for the fermentation character specifically, rounder and less pungent than Thai fish sauce and closer to mahyaveh's mellow savouriness. It is also expensive, and it still has none of the mustard and fenugreek aroma, so add the spice mix as above. Use it if you already own a bottle rather than buying one for this purpose.

  3. 4Anchovy paste thinned with water and lemon

    Taste and texture differ

    Use 1 teaspoon paste plus 1 tablespoon water for every tablespoon of mahyaveh

    Tubed salted anchovy paste loosened into a pourable sauce.

    What changes
    Best for
    cooking rather than dipping, stews, rubs for grilled fish

    Mash it smooth with the water and a squeeze of lemon before it goes near the pan or it will stay in lumps. The result is oilier, fishier in a fresh-anchovy way rather than a fermented way, and less salty per spoon, so taste and adjust. It reads as anchovy to most palates, which is not quite the same thing as reading as fermented fish sauce, but in a spiced tomato dish nobody will mind. Add the cumin, coriander, mustard and fenugreek to get it into the right neighbourhood.

  4. 5Shrimp paste bloomed in oil

    Taste and texture differ

    Use ½ teaspoon paste for every tablespoon of mahyaveh

    Fermented shrimp paste, fried briefly in a little oil to tame the raw smell.

    What changes
    Best for
    cooked dishes only, rice, vegetable stews

    Powerfully funky and far more concentrated, so start at half the quantity and work up. The funk goes in a shrimpy, slightly sweet direction rather than mahyaveh's fishy-savoury one, and shrimp paste never dissolves completely, so a clear sauce will look cloudy and speckled. Always fry it for thirty seconds first, because used raw it dominates everything. Not suitable as a bread dip.

  5. 6Soy sauce, miso and tamarind (the least-bad vegetarian option)

    Different taste

    Use the same amount for the mixture, but expect a real gap

    Two tablespoons soy sauce, half a teaspoon of miso, a teaspoon of tamarind paste and the mahyaveh spice mix, plus a small piece of toasted nori if you have it.

    What changes
    Best for
    vegetarian and vegan versions of Bandari dishes, when no fish product is possible

    Be honest with yourself here: this gets you salt, fermented savouriness and the right spice aroma, and it does not get you fish. A vegetarian version tastes rounder, maltier and distinctly less marine, and the finished dish will taste good but not like the original. Crumbling in a little toasted nori or a few drops of seaweed soaking water narrows the gap more than anything else. This is the least-bad option rather than a substitute.

What is Mahyaveh?

Mahyaveh is Mahyaveh, also spelled mahiaveh or mahyawa, is a thin dark fermented fish sauce from the Persian Gulf coast of southern Iran, made from small salted fish and then seasoned with mustard seed, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and black pepper.

Cooking tips

  • Mahyaveh is usually eaten as a dip rather than cooked into a dish, warmed slightly and mopped up with taftoon or lavash alongside tomato, onion and herbs. If you are replacing it in that role, your substitute needs to taste finished on its own, which means the spices are not optional.
  • Fenugreek is the giveaway aroma. A quarter teaspoon of ground fenugreek per quarter cup of sauce is the difference between something that tastes like Thai fish sauce and something that tastes like southern Iranian food. Any more than that and it turns bitter and maple-like.
  • Warm any fish-sauce substitute gently before serving, but never boil it. Boiling drives off the volatile aromas that make it smell appetising and concentrates the salt, and a reduced fish sauce can go from seasoned to inedibly salty in under a minute.
  • Salt last. Every substitute here is salty, and the salt levels differ wildly between brands of fish sauce, so add the sauce to your dish first and only then decide whether it needs any salt at all.
  • If your recipe uses mahyaveh inside a home-preserved pickle or torshi, do not adjust the sauce, the salt or the vinegar. Preserving recipes rely on a tested salt and acid balance for safety, so follow the recipe exactly or use it as a fresh refrigerated condiment instead, and check the National Center for Home Food Preservation for guidance on canned and pickled foods.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just use regular fish sauce instead of mahyaveh?

Yes, and it is the right starting point, but it is not the same thing. Fish sauce gives you the salt and the fermented savoury depth and stops there. Mahyaveh is a spiced sauce, built on mustard, coriander, cumin and fenugreek, and those spices are most of what makes it recognisable. Spend two minutes adding them and the swap becomes genuinely good.

Can I leave it out altogether?

In a stew, you can, but the dish will taste noticeably flat and you will find yourself adding salt to compensate without ever getting the savoury depth back. If you are omitting it, add a little extra salt plus something else with fermented savouriness such as a spoonful of tomato paste cooked until it darkens, and accept that the result is a related dish rather than the same one. As a bread dip, mahyaveh is the whole point, so there is nothing to leave out.

Is mahyaveh the same as fish sauce from Thailand?

They are cousins. Both are small fish fermented with salt until they liquefy, and that shared process is why the swap works. The differences are that mahyaveh is spiced after fermenting, is usually thicker and darker, and tastes rounder and less sharply salty. Southeast Asian fish sauce is unspiced, thinner and more piercing.

How long does homemade mahyaveh substitute keep?

A spiced fish-sauce mixture keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for two to three weeks. The ground spices lose their aroma faster than the sauce spoils, so it will taste dull before it goes off. Make it in small batches, and if it has been sitting a while, refresh it with a pinch of freshly ground cumin and coriander.

What does mahyaveh actually taste like, so I know what I am aiming for?

Salty and deeply savoury first, then a warm spiced aroma from mustard and fenugreek, then a faint sourness. It is pungent to smell and much more moderate to taste, in the same way anchovies are. If your substitute tastes only salty, it needs spices; if it tastes only spiced, it needs more fermented savouriness.

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