In Vietnam spring rolls are thought to have been introduced to Vietnam by Chinese immigrants. But the Vietnamese spring rolls are quite different than the Chinese spring rolls as the spring rolls have been changed and adjusted to suit the local Vietnamese taste.
To Go Straight To Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Video – Click On The Link Below:
Jump to RecipeVietnamese spring rolls can be fried or fresh. The spring rolls are a traditional dish that will consist of pork, prawn, vegetables, and rice noodle. The spring rolls are rolled with a Vietnamese bánh tráng or a very thin rice paper.
Even the Vietnamese spring rolls in the north, south, and central Vietnam are not exactly the same taste. or name. In South Vietnam, they call the fried spring rolls as chả giò, whereas in North Vietnam they are called nem.
What is unique about the Vietnamese spring rolls is there is no fixed or exact recipe. Because of this, you may find different tastes and recipes from not the only region to region but also family to family.
About Our Vietnamese Spring Roll (Nem) Recipe
Our Vietnamese spring roll recipe has four basic parts to it:
- Spring rolls – The first part and maybe the most important is the spring roll itself. Our recipe consists of ground pork, vegetables, and other condiments. If you really do not want ground pork you can try to use ground chicken or turkey or even part ground chicken and ground pork mix. One of the things about the ground pork is that it makes sure the spring roll is moist and not dry. You do not want to have a spring roll that is dry.
- Rice Noodle – Rice noodles are a staple in Vietnam. In Vietnam, we can purchase them fresh each day. If you are not living in Vietnam you may have to buy them dried and then boil them. If you are looking for rice noodles look for a Vietnamese brand such as Annie Chun’s, Three Ladies, or Caravelle. Follow the instructions on their package for the cooking of the rice noodles They can also be purchased online at Amazon or other websites. If you have a large Asian Grocery store go there and ask them what Vietnamese Rice Noodles they recommend. If you want you can try to make your own rice noodles click here for a very easy recipe from Epicurious that you can try. You can find the Epicurious recipe by clicking here.
- Rice Paper – The Vietnamese rice paper is an important part of the Vietnamese Spring Roll. The spring rolls skins for Chinese spring rolls are not the same as the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese rice paper is white and very thin. Most Vietnamese rice paper is so thin you can almost see through it. So it is important that you get the proper rice paper for your spring rolls. You can find them on Amazon or in many Asian Grocery stores. Look for Vietnamese brands such as Three Ladies, Huu Company, Rose, Bamboo Tree, and Star Anise brands.
- Vegetables – Some of the vegetables we readily get here in Vietnam, but they may be difficult for you to get in America, Europe, or even other parts of Asia. So feel free to adjust the recipes to the vegetables you can get in your part of the world.
Video to Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Nem)
Here is a video to guide you through making your own Vietnamese spring rolls. In this video we will show you how to:
- Mix up the Vietnamese spring rolls meat
- Fill and fold the spring rolls
- Fry the spring rolls
- And the proper way to serve and eat Vietnamese Spring Rolls
This is our recipe for the Vietnamese Spring Rolls or Nem. You can also download a PDF copy of the Recipe below:
In the Vietnamese Spring roll recipe, the carrots are cut up to look like flowers. You can watch the below video to see how the carrots can be cut up to look like a flower for the Spring Roll Dipping Sauce:
Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Nem) Recipe
Serves 6
Notes On Some of the Ingredients For the Spring Rolls.
The Cloud Ear Fungus you can usually find at an Asian Grocery Store. If you do not want to use them or cannot find them, you can use some more shiitake mushrooms. The seaweed noodles or clear bean thread noodles you can usually find at an Asian Market. Follow the directions on the packet. Usually, you need to soak them in cold water for them to become soft.
When rolling the spring rolls you can use water, egg white, or beer. Many Vietnamese restaurants use beer as it makes the spring rolls more brown and crispy.
For the spring roll dipping sauce if you cannot find the German Turnip or Kohabi you can use green papaya or mango or try to cut up a green apple. To see how to cut up the carrots to look like a flower about how to cut the flower design.
If you cannot find the Marjoram and Perilla you can try to find a substitute a similar vegetable or not use them. These are vegetables that are used a lot in Vietnam but may be harder to find or almost impossible to find in other parts of the world.