483752 Sun Jan 27 20:20:35 -0800 2008 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3339318 Hi, I remember this ingredient as a child but I've long forgotten it. It was in a place that specialized in serving Banh Cuon. They put out a small bowl of fish sauce just as in other typical Viet restaurants. Now the ingredient I'm trying to identify is a condiment that was on all the tables. It was a clear liquid in a small bottle with a dropper, and we would add some drops of it in our nuoc mam to help perfume it and lessen the "fishiness" of the nuoc mam. I THINK it's jasmine extract or something like it. Does anyone here know what I'm talking about? Sun Jan 27 20:20:35 -0800 2008 146339 phan1 1 3339368 I had to search for it but I found it. Belostomatid, an essence squeezed from a particular kind of beetle. We used it in bun thang. I kind of hated the way it smelled because it didn't match the dish like perfume. Sun Jan 27 20:39:13 -0800 2008 3339318 69496 septocaine_queen 2 3339460 REALLY?!? Wow. Do you think we're talking about the same think here? This substance smells quite nice, like a soft perfume. The only thing I could compare it to is jasmine extract or maybe rose water. It's a stark contrast to the fishiness of nuoc mam. If you're still confident we're talking about the same thing, do you know how I could get my hands on some? Do they sell it at Asian supermarkets? I googled the substance and I can't find even a picture of the bottled product. Sun Jan 27 21:19:31 -0800 2008 3339368 146339 phan1 3 3339487 The other name is Ca Cuong. You probably could get it at good asian supermarket. I remember the writing to be in thai. I also remember the dropper. Chances are the essence will be synthetic but it is all the same organic chemistry. Sun Jan 27 21:38:06 -0800 2008 3339460 69496 septocaine_queen 4 3340732 TY very much! And I'm pretty sure I'll get the synthetic kind, as I hear the real stuff is very expensive. Mon Jan 28 10:01:22 -0800 2008 3339487 146339 phan1