Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls are a specialty of Thanh Hoa province, impressing diners with their distinctive flavor and elaborate preparation.
Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls are one of the famous specialties in Thanh Hoa province . Photo: Provided by the subject.
Thanh Hoa's cuisine is primarily characterized by simple, rustic dishes, not luxurious delicacies, but with excellent flavors and elaborate preparation methods. Besides the famous fermented pork sausage (nem chua), visitors to Thanh Hoa should not miss grilled pork sausage (nem nuong). This specialty originates from Tho Xuan, a land of historical significance and heroic people. Tho Xuan is also known as the "land of two kings," the birthplace of two national heroes: Emperor Le Dai Hành, who defeated the Song invaders in the late 10th century, and Emperor Le Thai To, who defeated the Ming army in the early 15th century. Mr. Do Van Vu, the owner of a grilled fermented pork sausage shop in Tho Xuan district (Thanh Hoa), says that he sells an average of 300-400 sausages a day, both through direct purchases and delivery throughout the country.
Ingredients needed to prepare Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Sharing his family's secret recipe for Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls, Mr. Vu said that choosing the right ingredients is crucial. Delicious spring rolls must be wrapped in lean pork shoulder, as it's crispy yet still tender due to the presence of fat. The meat is sliced and mixed with clean pork skin, thinly sliced into strips about 0.5mm thick. “In addition, you need to prepare other ingredients such as minced garlic and chili, ground black pepper, fish sauce... The betel leaves and guava leaves should be young, washed, and dried,” Mr. Vu shared with Lao Dong newspaper . The meat is marinated for about 30-60 minutes to absorb the spices. The characteristic flavor of grilled spring rolls also comes from the roasted rice powder. Besides roasted rice powder, some places use roasted corn powder for added aroma. Then, the mixture is divided and formed into equal portions. This prevents the spring rolls from unraveling and makes wrapping easier. Banana leaves are torn into 10-15cm strips and dried in the sun or over a fire. The banana leaves should be slightly wilted to prevent tearing during wrapping.
After marinating the meat, shape it into small balls for easier wrapping. One kilogram of meat yields approximately 3-4 large spring rolls, or 5-6 small spring rolls. (Photo: Provided by the subject)
When wrapping, the hands of the person making the sausage must be nimble and skillful. Take a small piece of banana leaf, place it on a guava leaf, a few betel leaves, and roll up the meat mixture. Then, add two more leaves on the outside. Mr. Vu said that the wrapping technique requires a steady hand, ensuring each sausage is square and has a light, fragrant aroma. The sausages, once wrapped, will ripen in about two to three days if the weather is cold, or they can be left outside for half a day or overnight and stored in the refrigerator. The sausage strands should not be too pale or too dark in color, and should have a slightly sour taste. With just a gentle push of chopsticks, the sausage wrapper easily separates, revealing slices of meat coated in fragrant roasted rice powder, infused with the aroma of fish sauce, garlic, chili, guava leaves, and betel leaves... "A relatively clear difference is that the pork used in grilled sausage is not finely ground like in fermented sausage, or the pork skin is not thinly sliced like in 'nem bui' sausage, but rather thinly sliced like in 'nem chua'. Other types of sausage can be eaten directly after fermentation, but grilled sausage requires a grilling process before it can be enjoyed," Mr. Vu pointed out the difference between Tho Xuan grilled sausage and other types of sausage. After fermentation, the best way to enjoy it is to grill the whole sausage over a wood fire or bury it in the ashes. At that point, the outer leaves are charred, while the meat inside, with its released fat, retains its moisture, resulting in a soft and fragrant sausage.
A plate of grilled Tho Xuan spring rolls after grilling. The spring rolls are wrapped in fig leaves and dipped in a garlic and chili fish sauce. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Nowadays, diners who don't have access to a wood-fired grill can prepare grilled pork skewers using an electric stove or air fryer. They can also be fried, steamed, or stir-fried with vegetables. Grilled pork skewers are best enjoyed hot, wrapped in fig leaves and dipped in fish sauce or chili sauce for a complete flavor. Regarding preservation, grilled pork skewers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 20 days. When frozen, vacuum-sealed skewers have a shelf life of up to 40 days. Tho Xuan grilled pork skewers have become a popular local specialty for visitors to Thanh Hoa, alongside other souvenirs like sticky rice cakes, sticky rice cakes, and cu do cakes.Laodong.vn
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