Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls are a Thanh Hoa specialty, impressing diners with their distinctive flavor and elaborate preparation.
Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls are one of the famous specialties in Thanh Hoa . Photo: Character provided
Thanh Hoa cuisine is mainly rustic dishes, not luxurious delicacies but with excellent delicious flavors and elaborate preparation. In addition to the famous nem chua, when coming to Thanh Hoa, visitors should not miss nem nuong. This specialty originates from the Tho Xuan countryside, a sacred land with outstanding people and a heroic history. Tho Xuan is also known as the land of "two kings", the birthplace of two national heroes: Emperor Le Dai Hanh defeated the Song invaders in the late 10th century and Emperor Le Thai To defeated the Ming army in the early 15th century. Mr. Do Van Vu, owner of a nem chua nuong shop in Tho Xuan district (Thanh Hoa), said that on average he sells about 300 - 400 nem every day, both by direct purchase and delivery to all regions of the country.
Necessary ingredients to prepare Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls. Photo: Provided by the character
Sharing the family secret of making Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls, Mr. Vu said that choosing the ingredients is the key factor. Delicious spring rolls must be wrapped with lean shoulder meat, because it is crispy but still soft enough because it has a little fat. The sliced meat is mixed with clean pork skin, cut into thin strips of about 0.5mm. "In addition, you have to prepare some other ingredients such as garlic, chopped chili, ground pepper, fish sauce... Choose young galangal leaves and guava leaves, wash them and let them dry," Mr. Vu shared with Lao Dong . The meat is marinated for about 30-60 minutes to absorb the spices. The characteristic flavor of grilled spring rolls also comes from the rice bran. Besides rice bran, some places also use corn bran for fragrance. Then, divide it and hold it into equal handfuls. This will help the spring rolls not to fall apart when wrapping, making them easier to wrap. Tear banana leaves about 10-15cm long and dry them in the sun, or over a fire. The banana leaves must be moderately wilted so they do not tear when wrapping.
After marinating the meat, form it into balls for easy wrapping. One kilo of meat makes about 3-4 large spring rolls, or 5-6 small spring roll packages. Photo: Provided by the character
When wrapping, the hands of the maker must be flexible and skillful. Take a small piece of banana leaf, place it on a guava leaf, a few ginseng leaves and roll up the meat. Then, add two more leaves on the outside. Mr. Vu said that the wrapping technique requires the maker to have a steady hand, each spring roll should be square, and smell the light aroma from the outside. The wrapped spring rolls should be left for about two to three days to ripen if the weather is cold, or left outside for half a day or overnight and stored in the refrigerator. The finished spring rolls should not be too pale or dark in color, and have a slightly sour taste. Just gently separate the spring rolls with chopsticks, and each piece of sliced meat is wrapped in fragrant rice powder, mixed with the smell of fish sauce, garlic, chili, guava leaves, and ginseng... "A relatively clear difference is that when making grilled spring rolls, the pork is not ground finely like sour spring rolls, or the skin is cut into thin strips like sour spring rolls, but is sliced into thin slices like sour spring rolls. Other types of spring rolls can be eaten directly after fermentation, but grilled spring rolls need to go through the grilling process before they can be enjoyed," Mr. Vu said, explaining the difference between Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls and other types of spring rolls. After the spring rolls are fermented, the best way to enjoy them is to grill the whole spring rolls on a wood stove or bury them in ashes. At that time, the outer leaves are charred, the fat inside the meat is still moist, and the spring rolls are soft and fragrant.
A plate of Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls after grilling. Grilled spring rolls wrapped in fig leaves, dipped in fish sauce, garlic and chili. Photo: Provided by the character
Nowadays, diners who do not have the conditions to grill on a wood stove or bury in ashes can cook grilled spring rolls with an electric stove or an air fryer. Or they can be fried, steamed, or stir-fried with vegetables... Grilled spring rolls are best eaten hot, wrapped in fig leaves, and dipped in fish sauce or chili sauce for a full flavor. Regarding the preservation process, grilled spring rolls should be kept in the refrigerator to be used within 20 days. When stored in the freezer, vacuum-sealed spring rolls have a shelf life of up to 40 days. Tho Xuan grilled spring rolls have become a rustic specialty for visitors to Thanh Hoa, along with specialty gifts such as gai cake, lam tea, cu do cake...Laodong.vn
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