Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnam, likely southern Vietnamese origin. Gỏi cuốn are associated with the Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City. The fresh spring roll tradition contrasts with the fried spring roll (chả giò) — both exist throughout Vietnamese cooking but represent different occasions and textures.

Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls, not fried) are rice paper rolls filled with pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, lettuce, mint, and bean sprouts, served with hoisin-peanut dipping sauce. The rice paper (bánh tráng) must be soaked correctly — pliable but not soft — and the rolls must be tight enough to hold their shape but not so tight the rice paper tears. These are fresh, light, and eaten immediately after rolling.

• Thai fresh rolls (poh pia sod — similar rice paper rolls with Thai herbs and peanut sauce); Chinese popiah (soft rice paper rolls with braised turnip — the Teochew Chinese version); Korean ssam (lettuce wraps with grilled meat — the Korean wrap-and-eat tradition).

Nuoc cham or hoisin-peanut dipping sauce alongside — the sauce is what makes gỏi cuốn complete. Vietnamese iced coffee or Saigon lager for the summer lunch pairing.