Nem Ran, Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Imperial Rolls
This cha gio recipe turns ground pork, shrimp, glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms into 16 golden fried spring rolls with a blistered, crackling rice-paper shell. The rolls are fried twice — once to cook the filling through, once to crisp the wrapper — and served hot with nuoc cham, lettuce and herbs for wrapping. One serving is about 245 g.
In the south the rolls are called cha gio and in the north nem ran; abroad they became known as imperial rolls during the French colonial period, when the crisp rice-paper rolls were served at formal meals. Today they are a fixture of family celebrations and Lunar New Year tables across Vietnam, and of Vietnamese restaurants around the world.
Pairs well with: Nuoc cham dipping sauce with lettuce and fresh herbs
Provenance
Vietnam
Vietnamese Street-Food Classic
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
52m
30m prep • 22m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
574 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 245 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Medium (Rolling & Frying)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Inappropriate
Dinner
Inappropriate
Snack & Tea
Ideal Light Bite
Vietnamese Street-Food Classic
Photo: Satdeep Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
Rolled tightly in thin rice paper and fried twice, so the shell shatters and the pork and shrimp filling stays juicy.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Soak, Chop and Mix the Filling
30 Mins • Soak + Mix + Roll
Soak the 50 g glass noodles and 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain, snip the noodles into 5 cm lengths and chop the mushrooms finely. Mix the 300 g ground pork, 150 g chopped shrimp, noodles, mushrooms, 80 g grated carrot, 80 g chopped onion, 12 g minced garlic, the beaten egg, 15 ml fish sauce, 5 g sugar, 2 g black pepper and 1 g salt in a large bowl until it holds together. Soften one rice paper at a time in the 500 ml warm water, lay it flat, spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling near the bottom edge, fold in the sides and roll up tightly into a neat cylinder about 8 cm long. Repeat until you have 16 rolls, and let them rest on a tray for 10 minutes so the wrappers dry slightly before frying.
Maestro Tip: Roll tightly and evenly — a loose roll bursts in the oil, and a fat roll stays raw in the middle.
10 Mins Warm water, about 40°C (105°F)
Put the 50 g glass noodles and 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms in separate bowls of warm water and leave for 10 minutes. Drain well, squeeze the mushrooms dry, snip the noodles into 5 cm lengths and chop the mushrooms finely.
Squeeze the mushrooms really dry — wet filling makes soggy rolls.
Done when: Noodles pliable, mushrooms soft and finely chopped.
5 Mins Room temperature
Put the 300 g ground pork, 150 g chopped shrimp, soaked noodles, chopped mushrooms, 80 g grated carrot, 80 g chopped onion, 12 g minced garlic, the beaten egg, 15 ml fish sauce, 5 g sugar, 2 g black pepper and 1 g salt in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined and the mixture holds together when squeezed.
Do not overwork it — mix just until combined, or the filling turns tough.
Done when: Evenly mixed, holds its shape when squeezed.
15 Mins Room temperature
Dip one rice paper in the 500 ml warm water for 2 to 3 seconds until it just starts to soften, then lay it flat on a clean board. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling in a line near the bottom edge, fold the bottom over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll up firmly into a cylinder about 8 cm long. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling to make 16 rolls, and rest them on a tray for 10 minutes.
Do not soak the paper until it is floppy — it keeps softening on the board, and over-soaked paper tears.
Done when: 16 tight, even cylinders, wrappers dry to the touch.
6 Mins per batch Oil at 165°C (325°F)
Heat the 500 ml oil in a deep, heavy pot to 165°C (325°F). Fry 5 to 6 rolls at a time for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until pale golden and firm. Lift out with a spider or tongs, drain on a wire rack, and check one roll: the pork filling inside must read 71°C (160°F) on a thermometer. Repeat with the remaining rolls, letting the oil come back to 165°C (325°F) between batches.
Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and the rolls go greasy — fry in small batches.
Done when: Pale golden, firm, filling at 71°C (160°F) inside.
4 Mins Oil at 180°C (355°F)
While the rolls rest, stir the 45 ml fish sauce, 30 g sugar, 30 ml lime juice and 90 ml water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the 6 g minced garlic, the sliced chilli and 10 g julienned carrot. Raise the oil to 180°C (355°F) and fry the rolls again in batches for 1 to 2 minutes until deeply golden, blistered and audibly crisp. Drain on the rack for 1 minute and serve hot with the nuoc cham, lettuce leaves and herbs for wrapping.
The second fry is what makes them shatter — skip it and the rolls soften as they cool.
Done when: Deep golden, blistered, crisp all over; dip sweet, sour and salty.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the cha gio hot and crisp, straight from the second fry, with the bowl of nuoc cham, lettuce leaves and fresh herbs on the table so everyone can wrap their own rolls.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
574
kcal / serving
Protein
26g
Complete AA
Carbs
55g
Complex
Fats
28g
Healthy
| Energy | 574 kcal |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Fibre | 3.0 g |
| Sugar | 10.9 g |
| Sodium | 1233 mg |
| Energy | 234 kcal |
| Protein | 10.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22.5 g |
| Fat | 11.4 g |
| Fibre | 1.2 g |
| Sugar | 4.4 g |
| Sodium | 503 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Provides vitamin A from the carrot, vitamin B12 from the pork and shrimp, and selenium from the shrimp.
High in Protein
About 26.2 g of protein per serving from the pork, shrimp and egg, so four rolls make a satisfying snack.
Vitamin A from Carrot
The carrot in the filling and the dip adds vitamin A, which supports normal vision and skin.
No Heavy Wheat Batter
The crisp shell is thin rice paper, not a thick wheat batter, so the rolls stay light for a fried snack.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sauces
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
The sweet, sour and salty dip is the other half of the dish — its acidity cuts through the fried richness and makes the rolls taste bright instead of greasy.
Vegetables
Lettuce and Fresh Herbs
Wrapping a hot roll in a cool lettuce leaf with mint and coriander adds crunch and freshness that balances the crisp, fatty shell.
More Pairings
Do Chua Pickled Carrot and Daikon
Sharp pickled vegetables refresh the palate between rolls, so the fried flavour never gets heavy.
Drinks
Hot Green Tea
Unsweetened hot green tea cleanses the palate after fried food and is the classic drink with cha gio at family meals.
Complete menu
Serve the cha gio with nuoc cham, lettuce and herbs for wrapping, a small plate of do chua pickled carrot and daikon, and hot green tea for a classic Vietnamese snack spread.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Undercooked Pork Filling
Ground pork must reach 71°C (160°F) all the way through — oil that is too hot browns the wrapper while the filling stays raw, so fry at 165°C (325°F) first and check with a thermometer. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Frying in Oil That Is Too Cool
Oil below about 160°C (320°F) lets the rolls soak up fat instead of crisping, leaving them soggy and greasy. Keep the oil at temperature and fry in small batches. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Rolls Left Out Too Long
Fried rolls with a meat filling should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours — bacteria grow quickly in warm filling. Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate them. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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Immunity & Warming
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Light Digestion
Nothing is fried, so the rolls stay light and fresh — a cool, herb-filled snack for hot days.
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Comfort & Sustained Energy
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WARNING: This dish is made from raw duck blood and eating it is NOT recommended. Raw blood can carry Streptococcus suis (which causes meningitis and sepsis — people in Vietnam have died after eating pig-blood tiet canh), avian influenza from duck blood, salmonella and other dangerous germs. Vietnam's Ministry of Health advises against eating tiet canh, and no preparation method — not even blood from a fresh or trusted source — makes raw blood fully safe. This page describes the traditional Hanoi preparation, tiết canh vịt, for cultural knowledge only. One serving is about 241 g: a small bowl of fresh duck blood mixed with fish sauce, poured over finely chopped cooked duck meat and left to set into a soft, trembling jelly, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, lime and chili, and served cold.
Cultural Discovery
A traditional northern Vietnamese snack of raw duck blood set into a soft jelly with cooked duck meat, herbs and peanuts — described here for cultural knowledge, with a serious safety warning.
