Everybody knows about spring rolls, but have you ever tasted the real Vietnamese spring rolls? My grandmother used to make them with fresh mint and coriander, green salad and a special Vietnamese fermented pork called nem chua. You can find it in all Asian supermarkets.

There are two different dates on the wrapping: one is for when the meat is ready to be used, the other is the expiration. So you should eat the nem chua between these two dates.

Of course, you can use anything you like instead: salmon, shrimps, sausage… I often use a French sausage called cervelas because it is very good with the herbs and the fish sauce.

About the rolling, they can be rolled either opened, so that you can see the green salad, or closed, like for the Vietnamese imperial rolls called cha gio. 

Here, I give you the real Vietnamese spring rolls recipe with nem chua!

You will need:

• Some rice paper
• Some fermented pork nem chua
• Some green salad
• Some fresh mint
• Some fresh coriander

For the dipping sauce:

• 1 lemon
• Some fish sauce nuoc mam
• Some sugar

Wash and spin the salad, mint and coriander.

Cut the nem chua into 3 or 4 pieces.

Prepare a big bowl of tepid water to soak the rice paper.

Wet a clean dish towel and spread it out your work surface.

Soak a sheet of rice paper and lay it out on the wet dish towel. Wait a few seconds until the rice paper is softened.

Put 3 to 4 pieces of nem chua on the rice paper.

Fold the edges.

Add some fresh coriander.

Add some fresh mint.

Add some green salad.

Roll it up tightly.

You should prepare the spring rolls a few time before serving, and keep them in a wet towel so that they don’t dry until you start eating them.

To prepare the dipping fish sauce nuoc mam: click here.