Foreign newspapers describe the difficulty of traditional Vietnamese fried spring rolls

Foreign newspaper describes the difficulty of traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, photo 1

Vietnamese fried spring rolls. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

TastingTable, a food website, wrote an article about Vietnamese spring rolls, emphasizing why this dish is so delicious and difficult to make in the eyes of foreigners.

According to the website above, fried spring rolls are one of the dishes you should order when coming to Vietnam, along with chicken pho and bun cha.

This dish can be confused with Chinese egg rolls or spring rolls by foreign diners.

In fact, egg rolls are usually wrapped in a flour crust and then fried, while spring rolls are eaten immediately after being rolled.

As for fried spring rolls, the fillings are wrapped in a rice flour wrapper and then deep fried. This is a popular dish throughout Vietnam and is known for its many unique fillings.

According to TastingTable, fried spring rolls, also known as fried spring rolls or spring rolls depending on the region of Vietnam, are a very difficult dish to make.

There are a number of factors, including luck and precision, such as the temperature of the oil and the amount of filling in the spring rolls, that go into creating a perfectly golden fried spring roll.

However, if you are lucky enough to choose a shop with an experienced chef, you will enjoy delicious crispy spring rolls served with lettuce and herbs, dipped in rich fish sauce.

Ingredients for making fried spring rolls

Typically, ground pork is the signature ingredient in this dish. Instead of fresh shrimp or shredded chicken like many other types of spring rolls, the fatty taste of pork combined with crunchy vegetables and shredded vermicelli inside each spring roll creates a perfect combination of flavor and texture.

According to TastingTable, the vegetables mixed with the minced meat filling typically include carrots, ginger, garlic, green onions, and chopped wood ear mushrooms. Shredded glass noodles (often made from mung beans), are also a key ingredient, along with fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and other seasonings, like pepper and salt, to add a rich flavor.

TastingTable describes the rice paper used to wrap spring rolls as transparent rice paper, which helps seal the ingredients inside. This type of rice paper is preferred because it creates a more delicious feeling.

Once all the meat and vegetable filling is sealed inside, the spring rolls are deep fried, and this is a step that can easily go wrong if you're not careful.

Why are spring rolls so difficult to make?

According to TastingTable, there are a few things that can get in the way of frying spring rolls properly. For starters, the oil needs to be at the perfect temperature before you put the spring rolls in—around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher or lower temperatures will affect the crispiness of the crust.

Foreign newspaper describes the difficulty of traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, photo 2

Vietnamese fried spring rolls. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

Another problem is that the spring rolls are not wrapped properly. Each spring roll only fits 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling, and must be completely sealed, firmly enough to ensure that there is not much air inside. If not wrapped properly, the spring roll can come apart during frying.

And another challenge that chefs face with this dish is the rice paper wrappers. These wrappers are made from rice flour, are colorless, and are quite brittle and tear easily when wrapped.

Therefore, many people have turned to using wheat flour crusts because they are much easier to wrap. However, this substitution will cause the dish to lose its softness and characteristic flavor.

How to make and eat fried spring rolls

TastingTable describes the first step in making spring rolls as making the filling. Ground pork, chopped vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and spices are mixed thoroughly in a bowl. Then, 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling are placed on each rice paper sheet, rolled up, and sealed with beaten egg.

The rolls are then fried in hot oil until golden brown, then removed and drained. However, they are re-fried for a few minutes just before serving to achieve the perfect crispiness before eating.

According to TastingTable, this spring roll is popularly enjoyed throughout Vietnam as an appetizer, served with a rich dipping sauce, lettuce, basil, Vietnamese coriander, and mint for a rich flavor.

In addition, this website also describes a rather strange way to enjoy fried spring rolls, which is to eat them with vermicelli salad - the spring rolls are cut into bite-sized pieces, mixed with vermicelli, bean sprouts and chopped vegetables such as cucumber, carrots and pickled radish.

TastingTable also concludes that no matter how you choose to enjoy it, this delicious spring roll will become a must-have snack in your home.

VNA

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