There is a dish that can be served all year round, and it is present in almost every menu of Vietnamese restaurants abroad. It’s a dish so famous that many locals of Vietnam assume it as their own specialty and give it their own names: “Nem Ran” by northerners and “Cha Gio” by southerners.
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Fried spring rolls were brought to Hanoi from the southern part of Vietnam, and this dish has rapidly become a favorite among Hanoians. To express their affection and to remember the real origin of the dish, people in Hanoi call it “Nem Sai Gon.”
Contrary to popular belief, Vietnamese people do not eat fried spring rolls with rice every day. In fact, it is a preferred food for special occasions such as Tet and other family festivities. Spring rolls are not always served with rice but are also enjoyed with round noodles in the mouth-watering “bún nem” dish.
The ingredients used for fried spring rolls vary depending on the locality, but they usually consist of lean minced pork, sea crabs or unshelled shrimps, edible mushrooms, dried onion, duck or chicken eggs, pepper, salt, and different kinds of seasoning. There are also special variants of the traditional pork-based roll, such as crab spring rolls or Nem Cua Be.
Regardless of the ingredients, all the components are mixed thoroughly before being wrapped in rice paper to form small rolls. These rolls are then fried in boiling oil and usually garnished with fresh lettuce and herbs.
About Dipping Sauce
Foreigners may not know that the bowl of fish sauce is not the same for every Vietnamese dish. Each dish has specific requirements for its dipping sauce, and when it comes to fried spring rolls, it requires skill to make a good one. The quality of the dipping sauce for this dish must be a harmonious combination of flavors, such as lemon juice, sugar, chili, pepper, and fish sauce.
Learn the recipe to make Vietnamese deep-fried Spring Rolls.
To delve deeper into the world of Vietnamese cuisine, visit Rừng Cúc Phương.
