Celebrating Mustard Rolls and More

Awaken your taste buds with mustard rolls and more!

As Tet holiday’s indulgent feasts come to a close, our bodies start yearning for the refreshing crunch of vegetables and lighter fare. It’s the perfect time to delight in Vietnam’s diverse leaf rolls! From the Northern region’s crisp lettuce rolls to Hue’s spicy green mustard rolls, and the delightful three-friend rolls from Tra Que in Quang Nam province – each bite offers a burst of flavor and a cool, satisfying taste.

Northern Lettuce Rolls

Reflecting on Hanoi’s culinary scene in the 1940s, writer Vu Bang fondly remembered the humble lettuce rolls: “Lettuce rolls, once a rare treat reserved for Tet celebrations and homemade with care, are now a common sight on Hanoi’s bustling streets – sold from carts, just like bánh đúc (steamed rice cake with lime water)” (Delicious Dishes of Hanoi, Van Hoc Publishing House 1994, p. 116). 

He vividly described the experience: “Dip the roll in a bowl of aromatic sauce infused with giant water bug essence, then place it in your mouth. You’ll feel a gentle, refreshing sensation that leaves you craving more. One bite, and you’ll be reaching for another!” (ibid., p. 117)

While Vu Bang simply referred to them as “rolls,” journalist Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung dubbed them “meat shrimp rolls.” Many online articles use the term “lettuce rolls” (cuốn diếp), possibly to distinguish them from Southern Vietnam’s summer rolls (gỏi cuốn). Unlike gỏi cuốn, which are wrapped in delicate rice paper, cuốn diếp are enveloped in crisp lettuce leaves. The finest lettuce comes from Lang village, where “each leaf is as large as a green mustard leaf, with a hint of bitterness that’s delicious.” (Hanoi’s Nostalgic Aroma and Taste Part 1, Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, Hanoi Publishing House 2023, p. 277)

What can you find inside lettuce rolls? According to Vu Bang: “Shrimp, meat, dried radish, and a medley of fragrant herbs like Vietnamese coriander and sweet basil, combined with round rice noodles, all rolled up in a crisp lettuce leaf. It’s paired with fermented glutinous rice and dipped in a tangy sauce infused with giant water bug’s essence” (ibid., p. 116). In later years, the rolls evolved, and journalist Tuyet Nhung described them with an added twist: omelet and shallot strips tying it all together (ibid., p. 279).

Pork belly, boiled with fragrant ginger, is thinly sliced. While shrimp used to be sourced from West Lake, small fresh river shrimp are now chosen instead. These shrimp are marinated and sauteed. Chicken eggs, seasoned with salt and rice wine, are made into omelets. They can be slightly thicker than those used for bun thang and are cut into charming diamond shapes. Let’s not forget the essential “harrow” rice noodles from Tu Ky village (Hanoi). These long, white noodles, neatly placed across the basket, are cut into pieces, perfectly nestled within lettuce leaves.

Then comes the most special ingredient: fermented glutinous rice. After rice wine has been drained three times, the glutinous rice is left to turn slightly sour over a few days. Journalist Tuyet Nhung’s family steams the rice with molasses, making them “plump and shiny” and giving the lettuce rolls “a fragrant, sweet, sour, and mild flavor” (ibid., p. 279). Chef Nguyen Phuong Hai takes a different approach: he stir-fries the rice with minced meat, molasses, and crushed peanuts, creating an irresistibly savory addition.

But why does fermented glutinous rice suddenly appear in lettuce rolls? I suppose it’s because this dish is traditionally enjoyed after Tet, when the rice has just finished its job of producing alcohol. Instead of wasting the rice, resourceful Hanoi women of the past steamed it with molasses and added it to lettuce rolls. This clever use of the rice’s sweet and sour flavor helps stimulate the appetite and refresh the palate after the rich and indulgent Tet holiday feasts.

Vietnamese coriander and sweet basil rest gracefully on young green lettuce leaves. Hidden within this verdant “curtain” are a few round, shy fermented glutinous rice together with rice noodles. Yellow eggs, white meat, and pink shrimp proudly show off their colors, as if eager to break free from the dark green shallot belt, adorned with a pretty “lock” – a white shallot. 

This radiant roll is paired with a light dipping sauce that perfectly balances the sugar’s sweetness, the fish sauce’s saltiness, and the delicate aroma of giant water bug’s essence. A few slices of chili float like tiny fishing boats on the lake. That’s the magic of Northern lettuce rolls!

In Thu Lam village, Thai Nguyen province, a traditional dish graces the table on the 6th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year: Thua Lam shrimp rolls (tôm cuốn Thùa Lâm). Though the origins of the dish’s name remain a mystery (why is the village called Thu Lam and the dish Thua Lam?), the rolls themselves are delightful. 

Thua Lam shrimp rolls resemble lettuce rolls, but with a twist: river shrimp are skewered straight and fried to perfection. Instead of boiled meat, slices of Viet ham  take center stage. What sets Thua Lam shrimp rolls apart is the unique combination of crispy shrimp and soft Viet ham slices nestled among cool, green vegetables.

Trinh Xa, a traditional noodle village in Thuy Nguyen district, Hai Phong, proudly presents Thuy Nguyen shallot rolls (cuốn hành Thủy Nguyên). These rolls are a delightful medley of shrimp, meat, eggs, rice noodles, and the unique addition of fried tofu. They are served with a dipping sauce that perfectly balances sweet, salty, and sour flavors, accompanied by flower-shaped carrot slices and thinly sliced onions. The shallot rolls boldly combine robust flavors to create a harmonious and satisfying whole.

Hue’s Green Mustard Rolls

If Northern lettuce rolls are vibrant, Hue’s green mustard rolls exude a delicate charm. In her book Cooking Hue Dishes, Ms. Hoang Thi Kim Cuc advises to “choose young mustard leaves, and make the stem sharp” to create the perfect rolls (Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House 2004, p. 222). From the very first step, you can sense the quintessential “Hue” style – elaborate and meticulously detailed. Furthermore, boiled shrimp must be peeled carefully without any blemishes, and pork belly sliced extremely thin. A testament to the precision and care expected; otherwise, you risk being labeled a careless cook.

Now for the rolling action: “Pick up a shrimp, a piece of meat, rice noodles, and some mustard leaves. Roll it up, use a sharpened stick to poke a hole through the leaves, then thread the mustard stem through, just like wrapping betel leaves, to keep the roll from falling apart.” (ibid., p. 222) Sounds easy, right? So why did I try it ten times and all the rolls fell apart? Maybe because I’m not a “100%” Hue girl. Or perhaps, my rolls are just too eager to break free and dance on their own!

That’s not all – whether the mustard roll is delicious or not depends on the dipping sauce. “Cook the peanuts, peel them, and crush them. Chop the shrimp and lean pork. Pour oil into a pan and sauté the shallots until fragrant, then sauté the shrimp and meat until cooked. Add the peanuts, season with pepper, salt, and sugar to taste, then add a little water and simmer until the sauce thickens.” (ibid., p. 222)

As I read this, I can almost smell the golden sauce, rich with the aroma of shrimp, meat, and fried shallots, blending with the nutty flavors of peanuts and a hint of sweet and spicy. My mouth is watering already!

The dipping sauce forms the bass notes, the herbs create the mid-range, and the savory shrimp and meat with a touch of bitterness from the mustard leaves hit the high notes. Together, the mustard roll choir sends my taste buds into a state of euphoria. Naturally, before indulging, I take a moment to admire its Hue-style beauty – almost everything hidden beneath a “green dress”, with just a hint peeking out provocatively, like a coy smile from a Hue girl under the brim of her conical hat.

Hue also has vegetarian mustard rolls, featuring sweet potatoes, fried tofu, and stir-fried mushrooms. The vegetarian dipping sauce is a delightful blend of crushed bean paste and vegetable broth, stewed with pickled Chinese onions, tomatoes, peanuts, sesame, sugar, and a dash of chili powder (Cooking Hue Dishes, p. 257). It’s just a pity that Ms. Kim Cuc’s method of making the roll in the style of betel leaves seems to have been lost. I searched high and low, but no luck finding an accurate photo illustration – so you’ll have to let your imagination roll with it!

Tra Que’s Three-Friend Rolls

On the 7th day of the first lunar month each year, Tra Que, a charming vegetable-growing village in Cam Ha commune, Hoi An, celebrates the tradition of Cau Bong worshipping. Among the offerings, you will always find a plate of three-friend rolls (tam hữu), symbolizing friendship and unity.

A three-friend roll, as its name suggests, consists of three key ingredients: a stir-fried freshwater shrimp, a slice of boiled pork, and basil grown in Tra Que, all tied together with a piece of shallot. Some believe that the shrimp represents the aquatic bounty of the De Vong River surrounding the village, the pig symbolizes the livestock raised around homes, and the basil signifies the vegetable-growing tradition of the village. These three “friends” have been integral to the lives of Tra Que residents since their ancestors first settled there, so the villagers crafted this dish to honor that enduring friendship.

“Pick up a roll of tam hữu, dip it into a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce, and slowly savor the sweetness of the perfectly cooked shrimp, the rich taste of the boiled pork, the strong aroma of basil, and the spicy tang of the half-cooked shallot, all mingling with the salty, spicy notes of the sweet and sour fish sauce.” (Kim Em, Quang Nam Newspaper 2022)

Tet has passed, but spring is still gracing us with its presence. Lettuce rolls, green mustard rolls, and three-friend rolls are gentle gifts of spring, heralding the imminent arrival of blooming flowers and vibrant fruits in Vietnam. These delightful rolls embody the spirit of renewal and the beauty of nature, reminding us to savor each moment and celebrate the simple joys of life. As the days grow warmer and the landscape bursts into color, let these culinary treasures be a testament to the enduring charm of Vietnamese spring.

mlefood – Minh Lê