The story of Noumami and its founder, Trung Van Nguyen (Nguyễn Văn Trung), is one of cultural roots, technical innovation, and determination.

Background of the Founder

Trung Van Nguyen is a Vietnamese refugee who fled Vietnam by boat with his family in 1989, reaching Malaysia before resettling in Norway in mid-1991. He first lived in Tønsberg, then moved to Trondheim to study at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He graduated at the end of 2003 with a Master's degree in Chemical Process Technology. After graduation, he worked for many years in the oil and gas industry in Stavanger, southern Norway.

The Spark of the Idea (2016)

In mid-2016, Trung attended a conference on Norway's fish and seafood industry. The event invited oil-and-gas experts to help modernize and add value to the country's long-standing but under-developed fisheries sector. Norway has vast quantities of high-quality fish—especially salmon and cod—from its pure, cold northern waters. Yet most products remained relatively basic. As a Vietnamese who had grown up with fish sauce as an essential part of his culture, Trung felt a strong personal motivation. He realized that authentic traditional fish sauce was becoming rare and the idea formed: Why not make high-quality fermented fish sauce from Norway's exceptional seafood?

Challenges and the Journey

The project faced major obstacles including Norway's cold climate, differences in Norwegian fish species, no prior tradition, and strict food-safety regulations. Trung researched intensively, traveled to coastal Vietnam including Phu Quoc to study traditional methods, and developed new techniques. In March 2017 he formally founded Noumami AS. The company established its production facility in the Sandnes/Voll area near Stavanger in 2018 and began producing the world's first naturally fermented fish sauce from Norwegian salmon.

The Name and Mission

'Noumami' combines 'Norwegian' and 'umami' (the fifth taste of savory richness). The company's goal is to create premium, authentic fermented fish sauce from pure Norwegian seafood in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way—reviving a 2,000-year-old culinary tradition while meeting the highest modern food-safety standards.