Do Son shrimp rice rolls - a taste you'll never forget.

HAIPHONG: Do Son shrimp rice rolls - a rustic dish that captivates tourists not only with its flavor but also with its preparation method passed down through decades.

Special shrimp filling flavor

The uniqueness of this dish begins with its ingredients. Fresh sea shrimp are washed and cleaned to remove impurities, then marinated with just the right amount of spices, steamed or boiled until cooked, then finely ground and dry-roasted into shrimp floss. This is a traditional, time-honored, and elaborate processing method that preserves the natural sweetness and distinctive aroma of the filling. The shrimp filling is light, fluffy, and fragrant, unlike traditional meat fillings. Enveloping this filling is a soft, smooth pastry shell made from finely ground rice flour. The batter is mixed precisely and spread onto a cloth mold in a steamer for about 20-30 seconds until cooked through.

Ms. Pham Thi Hao, owner of a traditional shrimp rice roll shop (Hai Son Street), Do Son Ward. Photo: Nguyen Duong.

Having been involved in the business for nearly 10 years, Ms. Pham Thi Hao, owner of a traditional shrimp rice roll shop (Hai Son Street), Do Son Ward, says she still maintains the traditional method passed down from her family. Every morning, from selecting the shrimp and making the shrimp paste to steaming the rice rolls, she meticulously performs each step, as a way of preserving the flavors of her homeland. The rice flour is made from rice soaked for 4-5 hours or overnight to soften it, then ground into a smooth, pliable paste. It's mixed with a ratio of 3 parts flour to 1 part water to create the right consistency, and a little salt is added to enhance the flavor of the wrapper. The thin, fragrant, and slightly chewy rice roll wrapper perfectly encloses the filling inside, creating a smooth and silky sensation from the very first bite.

The thin, fragrant pastry layer is slightly chewy, perfectly enveloping the filling inside, creating a smooth and silky sensation from the very first bite. Photo: Nguyen Duong.

The dipping sauce is also a key element that gives this specialty dish its unique character. Many elderly residents in the ward recount that the authentic flavor of Do Son shrimp rice rolls lies in the fish sauce made from "ca nham" fish – a dipping sauce with a distinctive thickness, unique aroma, and rich flavor. When eaten with shrimp rice rolls, it creates an unforgettable impression for those experiencing it for the first time. However, nowadays, shrimp rice rolls are also served with a sweet and sour fish sauce made from simmered bones. This dipping sauce suits most diners because of its mild, sweet and sour flavor, which is not as strong as "ca nham" fish sauce, and allows for adjustments to individual tastes.

Shrimp rice rolls are a specialty of Do Son. This simple, rustic dish has been a part of the local people's culinary culture for many years. Priced at only 25,000 to 30,000 VND per serving, shrimp rice rolls offer a novel and appealing experience for first-time visitors. Sharing with the reporter, Tram, a tourist from Hanoi, said that she had previously eaten shrimp rice rolls with fish sauce made from snakehead fish, which had a rather unusual flavor. For those trying it for the first time or unfamiliar with the taste of fish sauce, she found it quite difficult to eat. However, on her recent visit to Do Son, she tried the dish with bone broth sauce and the experience was completely different. The rice rolls tasted the same, but the dipping sauce was milder, easier to eat, and not as strong or difficult to eat as with the snakehead fish sauce.

However, for the locals, especially those living in Do Son ward, they are more familiar with and attached to the traditional way of eating with fermented fish sauce. They fully appreciate the flavor through the harmonious blend of the delicate taste of the rice paper, the natural sweetness of the sea shrimp, and the rich saltiness of the fish sauce, creating a pleasant, familiar, and distinctly local culinary experience.

The unique culinary features of Do Son tourism.

When visiting Do Son, besides the famous fish salad with broth, you can't miss the shrimp rice rolls. Do Son's seafood cuisine is not only about selecting fresh ingredients, but also reflects the character of the coastal residents: straightforward, frank, sincere, and generous. This is evident in every layer of the roll, every filling, and even the choice of dipping sauce, which is closely tied to the region's cultural life.

Do Son shrimp rice rolls, originating from the culinary culture of fishermen, have, over time, moved into the street food scene and become a familiar dish for tourists. Photo: vedoirong.com.

While the rich, distinctive flavor of fish sauce made from scad fish leaves an unforgettable impression on first-time diners, much like the strong character of the people of Do Son, the fish sauce made from simmered bones offers a more open and harmonious blend, making the dish more accessible and familiar to visitors from afar. The coexistence of these two culinary experiences not only enriches the dining experience but also showcases the hospitality and refined taste of the coastal people, who both preserve traditional identity and innovate through cultural exchange to suit the palates of diners.

Do Son shrimp rice rolls, originating from the culinary culture of the fishermen, have gradually emerged into the street food scene and become a familiar dish for tourists. Many families here still maintain the traditional craft of making these rolls through generations, preserving everything from selecting ingredients and preparing the shrimp filling to the secret of mixing the batter and making the rolls. This enduring tradition has prevented the dish from fading away, and instead, it has increasingly solidified its position in the local culinary life. Especially during festivals or peak tourist seasons, the shrimp rice roll stalls become busier than ever, not only serving the needs of tourists but also contributing to the unique character of Do Son.

Because this is not simply a dish, but also the embodiment of the fishermen's life—simple yet profound, unpretentious yet rich in flavor. And amidst many seafood specialties, this dish persistently creates its own unique mark, its own distinct taste—a taste carrying the salty and sweet flavors of the sea, along with the free-spirited, open, and genuine nature of the people living by the waves. It's enough for anyone who has ever tasted it to remember it as a very special part of Do Son.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/banh-cuon-tom-do-son--an-mot-lan-nho-mai-d803654.html