About Old Habits
Old Habits is a Vancouver Island-based maker of traditional, naturally fermented fish sauces, using only two ingredients: wild-caught local fish and Pacific Northwest sea salt—a method inspired by ancient Roman techniques from 2,000 years ago
Why It’s Special
- Traditional minimalist approach: Only fish and salt, no additives—fermented like ancient Roman garum or Italian colatura, Japanese shottsuru, and ishiri.
- Lower salt content and longer aging than most commercial sauces, producing a gentler yet intensely flavored product that stands on its own like olive oil or soy sauce
- Seasonal, limited-edition barrels and small-batch barrel aging enhance complexity and craft exclusivity
Roe Herring 4 Year Fish Sauce: Like if Bottarga and Fish Sauce had a baby. Made with Spring Roe Herring (Clupea Pallasi) and aged 4+ years. The herring used are wild-harvested during March spawning season and are abundant with roe. This makes for a very concentrated, slightly sweet, salty but mild flavor profile that tastes both familiar and unique at the same time. The long aging process concentrates flavours while reducing the harshness and saltiness.
