Chả giò

History and Regional Versions

Chả giò is the South’s signature fried spring roll, equivalent to the North’s nem rán. The widespread popularity of this dish stemmed from the development of rice paper-making villages in the South during the 19th century.

The main difference lies in the wrapper and the way the filling’s moisture is controlled. The filling is replaced with shredded sweetpotato instead of the watery jicama used in the Northern version’s filling, resulting in a denser, starchier filling. Additionally, the North’s nem rán use thin, soft rice paper wrappers that create a slightly crispy but quickly softened crust, the Southern chefs developed alternative wrappers such as net rice paper (bánh tráng rế) or wheat-mung bean wrappers to maintain crispness after frying.

The fried spring roll version chosen by Thìa Gỗ for serving is the Southern version, with a wrapper made from net rice paper (bánh tráng rế) for the vegan option and a wheat-mung bean wrapper for the beef and seafood options.

How to Prepare

The filling ingredients, such as mushroom (for the vegan option), minced beef (for the beef option) or a mixture of shrimp and squid (for the seafood option), are mixed thoroughly with wood ear mushrooms, shredded sweetpotato, and spices to form a homogeneous mixture. The chef places a sheet of wrapper (either net rice paper or wheat-mung bean paper), then places a portion of the filling near the bottom edge. The edges are folded inward to secure the two ends, and roll it carefully into a cylinder. Chả giò are dipped into hot oil and deep-fried until golden brown (for the wheat-mung bean wrapper version) or light yellow (for the net rice paper version).

How to Eat

A roll of chả giò is placed in a lettuce or mustard green leaf along with herbs, rolled into a tight package, dipped in sweet and sour sauce, and eaten immediately while still hot.