Goi Cuon

Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls — rice paper wrapped around prawns, pork, vermicelli and fresh herbs, served with hoisin peanut sauce.

Goi cuon — fresh spring rolls — originated in southern Vietnam where the abundant fresh herbs and vegetables of the Mekong Delta made fresh rolls a natural expression of local ingredients. The rice paper wrapper (banh trang) is made by pouring rice batter onto a bamboo mat over boiling water and drying in the sun — a process unchanged for centuries. The visual appeal of goi cuon — the translucent wrapper revealing pink prawns, white pork, green herbs and transparent noodles — makes them one of the most beautiful foods in the world. The hoisin peanut dipping sauce must be made with Vietnamese hoisin (tuong den) which is thinner and less sweet than Chinese hoisin.

The rice paper must be soft and pliable — not wet or sticky. Roll tightly so the filling does not fall out. The hoisin peanut dipping sauce must be freshly made.