Vietnamese

Bun bo Hue, a spicy, lemongrass rice vermicelli noodle
soup served with fresh herbs and vegetables.

Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a combination of five fundamental tastes (Vietnamese: ngũ vị) in the overall meal.^[1] Each Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements. Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird´s eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.

RECIPES:

Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls) Recipe.

Free Recipe Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls).

Recipe Type: Free Appetizer Recipes. Recipe Preparation: cook. Cooking Temperature: . Recipe Serves: 20.

Ingredients for Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls) Recipe.

2 oz Cellophane noodles 1 lb Ground lean pork 1 lg Onion 2 tb Tree Ears dried mushroon -(nam meo) 3 Cloves garlic; finely -chopped 8 oz Crab meat 4 oz Shrimp; shelled and chopped 1/2 ts Pepper 20 Sheets dried rice paper -(banh trang) 4 Eggs; beaten 2 c Peanut oil.

Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls) Preparation.

Soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes and cut into 1-inch lengths. Soak Tree Ear in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and finely chop. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cut a round rice paper sheet into quarters. Place the cut rice paper on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, paint beaten egg over the entire surface of the rice paper piece. Before filling, wait for the egg mixture to take effect, softening the wrappers; this take about 2 minutes. When you become adept at this, you can work on several wrappers at a time. When the wrapper looks soft and transparent, place about one teaspoon of filling near the curved side, in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the side over to enclose the filling and continue to roll. After filling all the wrappers, pour the oil into a large frying pan, put the spring rolls into the cold oil, turn the heat to moderate, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes until a lovely golden brown. (This is a special method of keeping spring rolls crisp.) Per serving: 4661 Calories; 454g Fat (87% calories from fat); 99g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 1097mg Cholesterol; 2732mg Sodium Serving Ideas : Serve with lettuce, cilantro, mint and nuoc cham NOTES : The Vietnamese spring rolls are much smaller and more crisp than the Chinese version. Unlike the Chinese spring rolls, they can be rolled in the morning, then covered and refrigerated for several hours before cooking. After cooking they will keep nice and crisp in 150-degree oven for up to 3 hours. BTW you can substitute shrimp and crabmeat with more ground pork or chicken if you don’t like seafood.