Dong Thap is not only famous for being the land of pink lotus, this is also the birthplace of Lai Vung’s famous spring rolls (Nem) with unique flavors, full of sweet and sour flavors, once you eat one, you want to try the second one.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | All Best Foods & Restaurants in Sa Dec
1. Better to Know as a Food Lover
Find them: Sa Dec city.
Best time: Dusk-Dawn
Don’t miss: Lai Vung Spring Rolls
Local’s pick: Co Hoan Lai Vung Spring Rolls shop
Tourist’s pick: Market in Sa Dec, Lai Vung, and Cao Lanh
Blog: https://vemekong.com/lai-ving-spring-rolls-dong-thap/
Facts: Referring to Dong Thap – a vast, rich, straight-winged land. The place is remembered by everyone with the beautiful scenery of the lotus, or the majestic green melaleuca forests. In addition to the scenic beauty, Dong Thap is also famous for craft villages, including Lai Vung spring rolls village with famous delicious spring rolls. That is also one of the reasons why this land is visited by people every year.
2. Better to Know Lai Vung Spring Rolls
The legend of Lai Vung spring rolls
Along the length of our country, spring rolls are available almost everywhere, but why is Lai Vung spring rolls famous and has a place among countless types of spring rolls?
Originating in the 70s of the last century, the first spring rolls were initiated by Mrs. Tu Man in Tan Khanh hamlet, Tan Thanh commune, Lai Vung district, Dong Thap province. At first, Mrs. Tu only made spring rolls for family meals and local parties. When they found it delicious, they learned the craft and brought it to the market to sell. Unexpectedly, the good news that “playing food” grew and became as famous as it is today.
3. Lai Vung Spring Rolls in Sa Dec
The difference of Lai Vung spring rolls compared to other types of spring rolls on the market is that it is wrapped with bamboo leaves or gutted leaves, not with guava leaves like some other provinces. The leaves of the intestine help the spring rolls to ferment quickly, with a characteristic sour taste, making the taste of spring rolls more harmonious.
The taste of modern-day Lai Vung spring rolls is somewhat different. Bamboo leaves became scarce, so many business households were forced to replace bamboo leaves with gutted leaves, and tie nylon strings instead of banana leaves. The rustic dish is loved by people all over the country, so the production quantity is very large, and to meet the demand, the processing of meat and pork skin is not manually pounded like before but put into a blender. However, the delicious taste of spring rolls does not change much.
Nem Lai Vung brings enjoyment in color as well as flavor to people. It can be enjoyed individually or combined with vermicelli, banh cuon, mixed tre or rice. One of the most delicious dishes, when combined with spring rolls that people often hear from each other, is eating spring rolls combined with bread. In addition, it can be grilled on embers and then enjoyed with chili sauce.
4. How to Make Lai Vung Spring Rolls
How to make delicious and delicious Lai Vung spring rolls
Step 1: After buying pork thigh, it will be cleaned, filtered, and then cut into small slices. Then, marinate more sugar, salt, and fish sauce for about 30 minutes and then pound it. You will now notice that the meat has turned a beautiful pinkish red color.
Step 2: After purchasing, the pig skin is shaved clean, washed with water many times, and then put in a pot of boiling water. Then soak in ice water until crispy. Cut off excess fat and put it in a rolling mill.
Step 3: Mix pork ingredients, pureed pork skin together so that it is very smooth.
Step 4: Put the mixture into the spring rolls extractor, to make spring rolls of equal size. Or if you don’t have a spring roll mixer, you can use a small wooden box as a mold or make your own so that the rolls are square.
Step 5: Put 1 small green chili and sliced garlic on top of the meat, use a layer of Vong leaf (intestinal cluster leaves). Then use an extra layer of banana leaves to wrap the outside. Use a banana string or nylon string to tie it up.
Note: The number of banana leaves will determine the fermentation time of spring rolls. Usually, people will wrap banana leaves alternately around the spring rolls to create airiness, help the spring rolls to ferment quickly and have the aroma of the leaves.
5. Pro tips:
Here are our tips for easing your mind (and stomach) around food-handling environments that you may not be used to.
Make sure the food is freshly cooked. If you’re eating hot street food, it’s always safest (not to mention more delicious) to eat food you can see being cooked to order.
Look for lines and busy stalls. Busy street food stalls are an indicator of popularity, and their high turnover rate means the food is never sitting out for hours and developing dreaded bacteria. Yes, long lines can be discouraging when you’re hungry after a full day of exploring, but it’s not worth the risk of grabbing precooked food from the empty spot next door.
Eat when the locals are eating. The last and most important element here is when to eat. You’re likely already on a weird eating schedule while you’re traveling, but it’s important to try and adjust to the eating times of where you are. A bowl of pho might be lunch for Americans, but it’s breakfast for the Vietnamese. This ensures that you’re eating freshly cooked food and that you can find the best and most popular places to eat.
If you can’t drink the water, then you can’t eat the salad. Most people get so hung up on not drinking the water or skipping ice in drinks that they don’t think about all of the other ways in which water is used in food service. Fruits and vegetables tend to be washed with tap water in most places, rather than the filtered water that locals drink—or sometimes it’s not washed at all. If you’re really craving some produce, try fruits you can peel or cooked veggies.
Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about the food or the way that it’s being prepared, then keep moving. Eating street food all over the world doesn’t make you an expert. Every stall and every country are different, and sometimes the rules can be harder to follow. When something doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t eat it! Trust your judgment. Chances are that there’s another spot close by that’s making something more delicious.
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Must-Eat Foods & Restaurants in Sadec: Sa Dec Noodle Soup, Sadec Crab Hotpot, Lai Vung Spring Rolls, Sa Giang Shrimp Puff Pastry, Lai Vung Tangerine…
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Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
