Cha gio Vietnamese Cha gio is a Vietnamese version of the Chinese eggroll which in English is called a spring roll.

Since China heavily influenced Vietnam, most of Vietnamese culture ties in with chines. Like the Chinese new occurs the same day as the Vietnamese new years and there lion dancing and firecrackers along with some red envelopes with money to give you good luck. Considered one of Vietnams national dishes today, Cha gio is said to be originally made for royalty which how it got one of its nicknames imperial rolls. The concept of combining vegetables, meat and rice wrappers into one sumptuous roll intends to delight the royal circle while at the same time serve a scrumptious meal that maintains a good balance of the yin and yang.

Recipe 7 1/2 oz very thin bean thread noodles (in small skeins, also known as cellophane or mung bean noodles*) 2 oz dried wood ear mushrooms 1 medium shallot 2 garlic cloves 2 cups grated carrots (4 to 5 carrots) 1 lb ground pork shoulder 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (preferably from Phu Quoc) 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 25 (8-inch) square frozen spring roll pastry wrappers made with wheat flour, thawed 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten About 6 cups vegetable oil

Prepare filling: Put the dried noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak, pulling noodles apart and stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Drain noodles and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (you should have about 3 cups), then transfer to another large bowl. Put mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse mushrooms thoroughly, then drain again. Trim off and discard any hard parts from mushrooms. Finely chop mushrooms. (You should have about 2 cups.) Add to noodles.

Pulse shallot and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, then add to noodles along with carrots, pork, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and salt. Pulse shrimp in processor until coarsely ground. (Do not over process or it will become pasty.) Add shrimp to noodle mixture. Mix with your hands until well combined. Chill filling, covered with plastic wrap, until cold. Assemble rolls: Line 2 trays with wax paper. Transfer one fourth of filling to a small bowl and keep remainder chilled, covered. Place 1 wrapper on a work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with a clean kitchen towel (to prevent them from drying out). Cut wrapper diagonally in half to form 2 triangles. With long side of 1 triangle nearest you, put 2 tablespoons filling along middle of long edge of triangle, and shape filling into a thin 5-inch log. Fold left and right corners of wrapper over filling, overlapping slightly and aligning bottom edges. (Wrapper will resemble an open envelope.) Dab top corner with yolk, then roll up wrapper away from you into a long thin roll, making sure ends stay tucked inside. Place on a tray, seam side down. Repeat with remaining triangle. Make more rolls in same manner with remaining wrappers and filling, keeping trays of rolls chilled, loosely covered, until ready to fry. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over moderately high heat until it registers 365F on thermometer. Fry rolls in batches of 5 or 6, keeping rolls apart during first minute of frying to prevent sticking, until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (Return oil to 365F between batches.) Transfer as fried to a colander lined with paper towels and drain rolls upright 2 to 3 minutes. To eat, wrap hot or warm rolls in lettuce leaves and tuck in mint and cilantro leaves. Serve with dipping sauce.