Chả lụi

History and Regional Versions

Chả lụi is a modern street food originating from the South Central coastal regions in the late 20th century. Local fishermen prepare fresh shrimp and fish by pounding them with pork fat. This mixture is wrapped in small rice paper (bánh tráng), skewered onto bamboo sticks, and grilled over charcoal to be served with vegetables.

The skewering method used for chả lụi is inspired by the centuries-old royal nem lụi from Huế. In nem lụi, chefs also use skewers, but with lemongrass stalks.

Thìa Gỗ’s chả lụi is a modern take on the traditional coastal dish, but incorporates the presentation style of Huế’s royal nem lụi: foregoing the traditional grilled rice paper (bánh tráng gạo) wrapper and replacing the bamboo skewers with lemongrass stalks, inspired by nem lụi. Fresh shrimp and squid are finely chopped and pounded into a thick paste. This paste is then applied directly to the fresh lemongrass stalks and fried without the outer rice paper wrapper. The dish is served with thin rice paper, lettuce, herbs, cucumber, and a sesame dipping sauce with added minced beef.

How to Prepare

Fresh shrimp and squid are cleaned, dried, and finely chopped. The seafood is continuously pounded with chopped lemongrass, white pepper, and fish sauce until a thick, sticky, and elastic consistency is achieved. This mixture is molded into a cylindrical shape around the tip of a lemongrass stalk. Chả lụi are deep-fried in hot oil until the outer layer is golden brown and crispy, cooking the inside while releasing the lemongrass essential oil into the seafood mixture.

How to Eat

A thin rice paper wrapper is laid flat on the palm of the hand and filled with lettuce, herbs, and a slice of cucumber. Chả lụi is then placed inside the wrapper. Diners hold the skewer firmly through the wrapper with one hand while using the other hand to pull out the lemongrass stalk. The remaining seafood filling is then tightly wrapped in the rice paper, dipped into the sesame beef sauce, and enjoyed.