chả giò

Chả giò are Vietnamese fried spring rolls, also called nem rán in the north. Their crisp wrappers enclose a savoury filling; rice-paper wrappers are traditional, while wheat-based wrappers are also used. Huy Vu’s family recipe uses wheat wrappers around ground pork, mung-bean glass noodles, jicama, onion and wood-ear mushrooms, seasoned with salt, sugar and pepper.^[1]

The noodles and mushrooms are softened and chopped, and excess moisture is squeezed from the onion and jicama before mixing the filling. The wrapper’s sides are folded over it, rolled tightly and sealed with a flour-and-water mixture. The rolls are deep-fried until golden and served with nước chấm and pickles. They can be eaten alone or wrapped in lettuce and fresh herbs, and can also accompany rice-noodle bowls.^[1]