P4 The Original Nem Nướng

How special are the grilled pork rolls from La Gi and the Southwest? Finally, which one is the original Nem Nướng?

Chả Lụi La Gi

There is a new kid on the block in the nem nướng family. It’s a new and exciting dish that came to life in 2007, and since then it has already spread its deliciousness all over Vietnam. Here it is: chả lụi La Gi.

In this version, the pork patties and rice paper rolls merge to create a genius baby. A thin layer of minced shrimp and meat is spread on rice paper, then rolled into a neat rectangle about the size of half a playing card. The rolls sizzle on the grill, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. They are golden, crispy and less greasy than fried rolls. They are then wrapped in rice papers with crunchy lettuce, fragrant herbs, and tangy green mango.

The dipping sauce has a new interesting dimension. Beside fish sauce, sugar, and juicy sautéed tomatoes, it also gets tamarind juice. The sauce is sweet and tangy, with a hint of umami. On top of the sauce are crunchy roasted peanuts. If you like some heat, you can add minced fresh chili. It’s a simple sauce for a simple dish, but you can’t help falling in love with it.

What’s more? Chả lụi La Gi is low on meat, high on veggies, and big on flavor. Its fans should be grateful to a woman living in Quarter 3, Phuoc Loc ward, La Gi town. Ms. Canh was a street food vendor who came up with this brilliant idea when she couldn’t afford to make the real nem nướng. 

She swapped out the pork patties and fried rolls for a crunchy combination of minced shrimp and pork on rice papers, and added a tangy tamarind sauce to make it pop. The result is a dish that’s delicious, nutritious, and wallet-friendly. It’s no wonder that the young folks love it.

Nem nướng miền Tây 

The final version reflects the generosity of the Southwest inhabitants: nem nướng miền Tây (nem nướng from the Southwest).

The Southwest or the Mekong Delta region is home to Can Tho city and twelve provinces lying in the south of Ho Chi Minh city (also known as Saigon). This is where Vietnam grows most of its food, especially rice and fruits. You’ll find plenty of natural beauty and warm-hearted people here.

One distinctive feature of nem nướng miền Tây is the presence of bánh hỏi (woven rice vermicelli). I wonder if the Southwest locals have a secret love affair with bánh hỏi (woven rice vermicelli), because they always pair it with nem nướng, while the Central shuns any starch and just goes for the meat and the veggies.

Maybe the reason is that nem nướng in the Central are skinny and the ones in the Southwest are chubby. Southwesterners like to feast and stuff themselves, so they add bánh hỏi for a balance of meat, starch and veggies. If they run out of bánh hỏi, they don’t mind switching to bún (fresh rice noodle). Meanwhile, Central folks think nem nướng and bún nem nướng are like apples and oranges – totally different dishes.

The wind whips up a frenzy, racing like a wild horse across the endless rice fields and fruit-laden orchards. Somewhere, a laugh breaks free from the thatched hut on the bank of the tranquil canal. An old man with a bandana on his head relaxes against the pole and puffs on a homemade cigarette. A bustling elderly woman orders the women to fetch more of this and that. 

A pair of robust men slap each other’s backs and guffaw, pouring wine and toasting. The young women flit in and out with dishes, teasing each other and giggling. The plate full of grilled pork patties takes center stage on the mat next to a bowl of tempting sauce, bursting with yellow pineapple, red chili and white garlic.

The unrivaled sauce of the Southwest version is mắm nêm. It is fish fermented with salt roasted rice powder and sugar syrup. The ripe red-brown fermented fish emits a potent smell, called mắm cái (the mother of all sauces). Blended mắm cái, spiced up with chili, garlic, sugar, pineapple juice and minced pineapple is the secret formula for mắm nêm. If mắm tôm (shrimp paste) in the North can’t live without lemon, mắm nêm needs pineapple to be itself.

You know, mắm nêm smells like the sweat of a lover. At first, it might be weird and harsh. Once you get hooked, you will crave it so much that you can’t go without it or you will toss and turn. Mắm nêm is actually the national sweetheart of most Vietnamese but only the Southwest dare to dunk nem nướng in it.

Do you have any clue why the Southeast provinces like Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Tay Ninh call bún nem nướng (grilled meat patties in a bowl with rice noodles) just “nem nướng”? Don’t look at me, I’m clueless and willing to fork out for a meal to find out the secret.

It seems the Saigonese used to do the same previously. As far as I know, the shops in Thủ Đức, the nem (fermented patties) capital of Saigon, only sold bún nem nướng but no nem nướng wrapped in rice paper. 

When the economy soared and many migrants swarmed to big cities, the local variations of nem nướng also tagged along with them. Saigon migrants can now pamper their nostalgia with their favorite nem nướng version.

Which Version is Original?

After sacrificing countless time, stomach space and brain cells, I have to admit that I have no idea which version of nem nướng is the original. Apart from the youngest one chả lụi La Gi, the other members of the nem nướng family have been loved by locals for way too long.

Actually, every bite has its own delight. If I were the judge, I would give the Heritage Prize to bánh cuốn Tây Sơn, the Creativity Award to chả lụi La Gi and the Impression Prize to nem nướng miền Tây. The other versions all deserve a round of applause.

In the end, my effort pays off big time. Next time if someone tries to stump me with such a tricky question, I will proudly tell them about all nem nướng’s renditions and, of course, turn the tables on them: “Which version do you think is the original of nem nướng?” 

No answer is sometimes the right answer. I guess the most original one is the one that makes your mouth water and your heart flutter. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so is yumminess!

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