Cha gio is a traditional Vietnamese dish made with ground pork, crabmeat, and vegetables, rolled in rice paper wrappers and fried. It can be served as an appetizer or main dish with fresh vegetables and cold vermicelli noodles. It is a popular dish in Vietnam and can be frozen for future use.
Cha gio (pronounced “chai yaw”) are often called egg rolls. A traditional Vietnamese dish enjoyed in restaurants and more often, in Vietnamese homes, it is crispy and crunchy. Although many people compare cha gio to an eggroll, there are actually few similarities. Both have the filling in a casing and both are cylindrical. However, egg cups are typically larger in size and known to be appetizing appetizers. Cha gio is light and crunchy, usually smaller in size or cut into bite-sized pieces, and served as a main course or appetizer.
The filling in cha gio is usually made from a mixture of ground pork and crabmeat. Also added are chopped carrots, minced garlic, fish sauce, chopped onion, cellophane noodles, and sliced mushrooms. The filling is placed on rice paper wrappers, rolled up, fried in hot oil, and served immediately.
As an appetizer, cha gio is usually cut into bite-sized pieces and served with nuoc mam – a Vietnamese dip made from fish sauce, sugar, carrots, garlic, chilies, and lime juice.
As a main dish, cha gio can be served whole, accompanied by plates of fresh vegetables, such as Boston lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, bean sprouts, and cold vermicelli noodles. To eat cha gio this way, a lettuce leaf is used as a cup to hold small amounts of noodles and accompanying vegetables. A roll is placed in the center and the lettuce leaf is wrapped tightly around the contents.
Cha gio is also featured in cold noodle dishes, such as bun cha gio. These are cooked vermicelli that has been cold rinsed and topped with a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables. The cha gio is cut into pieces and served with noodles. Chopped peanuts typically garnish the dish, and nuoc mam is usually served as a dipping sauce.
Cha gio is a popular dish enjoyed all year round in Vietnam and especially during the holidays. To celebrate Tet, the Lunar New Year, Vietnamese families come together to make stacks and stacks of cha gio.
Since cha gio can be a lot of work, it’s good to know that they can also be frozen. If you plan to make cha gio at home, you can make a lot of it in the future. Fry the cha gio for a minute or two, then place it in an airtight container and freeze. When frozen properly, cha gio can keep for several weeks in the freezer. When ready to use, simply allow the cha gio to come to room temperature and remove any excess moisture. Finish frying the cha gio again and serve immediately.
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