"vietnamese" Spring Rolls?

[chanchao]

Let me apologize in advance for starting a food topic that doesn't involve hamburgers.

Friends, Romans, meet the best Vietnamese Spring Rolls in town: Spring rolls on Charoen Prathet Rd

That link dates a year or two back, but I just had them again for lunch from this very stall, and was reminded how excellent they are. But then it struck me: If you go to a proper Vietnamese Restaurant, the fresh spring rolls / "po pia sod" are noodly things with a lot of carrot and lettuce in it. I.e. the 'wrappers' are thin, steamed noodle type thingies that are super-glued together. Ok well maybe not super-glued together, but still a challenge to peel one off whole to build yourself a spring-roll.

At this road-side stall though, a different wapper is used, (and no carrot, thankgod) that's sort of a thin soft-roti / pancake like affair, similar to the cold "soft-roti & bright unnaturally colored sugar-floss" that you sometimes see being sold next to the road. And they're GREAT!

Does anyone know if this still qualifies as *Vietnamese* spring rolls, or that it's something else entirely?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Edited February 15, 2007 by chanchao

[Farma]

The photo on the plate looks the same as the Vietnamese spring rolls my wife orders at her favourite vietnamese restaurant in Ubon.

Your serving had a few less weeds on the plate.

[altman]

every sunday night we go over to the night market on tha pae to eat. tucked into a side street, or is it a wat? hard to tell with all the crowds... it is just up from moon muang on the north side of the street ... usually has a small string quartet playing out front and a deep fried chicken vendor just at the entrance.

anyway, on this side 'street' they sell the food. there is a stand there that makes an excellent spring roll. 3 for 10 baht i think.

[just_Elaine]

My understanding is that Vietnamese spring rolls are made with "rice paper". These manufacterers (http://www.cuchi.netfirms.com/index.htm) say that rice paper is made with rice flour with some tapioca powder. So your vendor probably makes her/his own batter and cooks it in a pan instead of using the dried rice paper product and soaking it before using it. Anyway, I would think that they are still spring rolls.

Here is a link I ran across of recipes to make spring rolls. http://www.levork.org/2006/11/13/vietnamese-spring-rolls/ At restaurants in the US, I'm used to seeing the rice paper stuffed with lettuce, mint leaves, a few shreds of carrot and maybe cabbage, grilled pork and shrimp with the peanut dipping sauce.

[p1p]

As a child in Bangkok, I used to love watching them make these rice wrappers from huge balls of sticky glutinous dough. The chef/maker would use his dough like a Yo-Yo, dropping it onto a hotplate and pulling it straight up into his hand again, leaving a circle of rice paper on the plate. This was quickly taken away by an assistant and added to a pile for sale. Four hotplates and he was constantly in motion. Kept me mesmerised for hours.

To my mind the best Vietnamese food in Chiang Mai by far is the little restaurant in either the first or second little soi between Pracha Samphan and Changklan Road. Need to go early because they sell out.

[malcy]

Let me apologize in advance for starting a food topic that doesn't involve hamburgers.

Friends, Romans, meet the best Vietnamese Spring Rolls in town: Spring rolls on Charoen Prathet Rd

That link dates a year or two back, but I just had them again for lunch from this very stall, and was reminded how excellent they are. But then it struck me: If you go to a proper Vietnamese Restaurant, the fresh spring rolls / "po pia sod" are noodly things with a lot of carrot and lettuce in it. I.e. the 'wrappers' are thin, steamed noodle type thingies that are super-glued together. Ok well maybe not super-glued together, but still a challenge to peel one off whole to build yourself a spring-roll.

At this road-side stall though, a different wapper is used, (and no carrot, thankgod) that's sort of a thin soft-roti / pancake like affair, similar to the cold "soft-roti & bright unnaturally colored sugar-floss" that you sometimes see being sold next to the road. And they're GREAT!

Does anyone know if this still qualifies as *Vietnamese* spring rolls, or that it's something else entirely?

Cheers,

Chanchao

i love the fresh spring rolls that you get in those MK restaurants ,they come with a lovely sweet caramel tasting sauce. im sure they are really good for you ha ha . no idea if they qualify as vietnamese or not

[lampard10]

Vietnamese spring rolls have translucent skins, and are eaten steamed or raw. I use to sell them in UK. .........OK they were Blue Dragon, but still the real thing.

[Ta22]

not sure if there are veitnam , is a very chinese dish . i ate since i was young .. with a diffrent mix of filling .

there is one near the soi some where near AIS . some time ago the old lady selling it make it really nice .

at chang puek market at nigth also and the walkstreet every week end .

i like the sweet sauce - but sometime when the maker forget to dry their hand when making it don't taste so good .

[WaiWai]

The Vietnamese spring rolls are delicious. Is there anything similar in Thai cuisine ?

A little more info :

Cha Gio (Crispy Spring Rolls)

Quintessentially Vietnamese, these delicate, crispy rolls are a refinement from the more robust Chinese rolls. The basic ingredient is minced pork, to which either prawns or crab can be added for savory flavor. The gossamer thin bang tranhg (rice paper) is hard to handle. You can use conventional spring roll skins as an easy alternative, but you won't achieve the same crispy results.

There's a recipe, too but I think you need to be quite expert to succeed.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/...nam/chagio.html

[sceadugenga]

The Vietnamese spring rolls are delicious. Is there anything similar in Thai cuisine ?

A little more info :

Cha Gio (Crispy Spring Rolls)

Quintessentially Vietnamese, these delicate, crispy rolls are a refinement from the more robust Chinese rolls. The basic ingredient is minced pork, to which either prawns or crab can be added for savory flavor. The gossamer thin bang tranhg (rice paper) is hard to handle. You can use conventional spring roll skins as an easy alternative, but you won't achieve the same crispy results.

There's a recipe, too but I think you need to be quite expert to succeed.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/...nam/chagio.html

Like most countries Vietnamese food is regional as well. The Saigon 'cold' rolls I liked were the very thin wrappers, bean sprouts, finally shredded lettuce, coriander, small shrimp tails and a little minced roast pork with a spring onion leaf running the length. Came with a selection of dipping sauces including a spicy peanut satay type.