Nem chua - Vietnamese fermented pork roll - Nem chua - Vietnamese fermented pork roll

Food & Drink » Vietnamese Food

Source: vietnam-beauty - 2009/12/21, 05:41 GMT+7 - Total view: 2627

Nem chua - Vietnamese fermented pork roll

Usually served as a snack with raw garlic, Nem chua iseaten all year round as an appetizer or a side. It is eaten especiallyfor the Lunar New Year by many Vietnamese families.

Nemchua is a meat roll with a sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste whichmakes the mouth salivate with each bite. Nem chua possesses the localcharacter of each region of Vietnam, due to the differing ingredientsand sauces used. Most versions of Nem chua can be distinguished bytheir name, which is usually named after the area it originated from,such as nem Thanh Hoa, nem Dong Ba in the ancient royal capital of Hue,and nem Ninh Hoa in Khanh Hoa Province, nem Yen Mac in Ninh BinhProvince, etc.

Traditionally,to make Nem chua, the main ingredient is pork thigh. Nem chua is madefrom minced pork, sliced pigskin and a mixture of seasoning and garlic.These contents are mixed thoroughly before being wrapped with aromatic,fresh leaves (usually in banana leaves) into small, boxy rolls beforebeing stored for natural fermentation process for three to five days ina cool place before eating.

Inthe Lai Vung District of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, thelocals take pride in their Nem chua recipe, which has been passed downthrough many generations. Called “nem Lai Vung” after the district, itbecame more widely known in 1975 when a local woman, Tu Man, made Nemchua for visitors. She used pork, but she also used

pigliver, and then ground them into a mixture with rice, shrimp meat andseasonings. The characteristics of nem Lai Vung and other specialtyfoods from Lai Vung District are so distinctive and recognizable thatthey have been registered under a domestic brand name. Tourists to DongThap Province can take part in nem Lai Vung cooking classes to learnmore about this regional specialty.

The northern areas also create their own favorite varieties of Nem chua. The famous one is NemYen Mac, which has been made for a long time in Ninh Binh Province. Thenumber of locals in Yen Mac who can make this kind of Nem chua is smallbecause the work requires not only secret formula but also passion forthe work. Nem Yen Mac is eaten with guavaleaves, fig leaves and aroma vegetables dotted into nuoc mam (fishsauce) which is mixed with mingled with garlic, lemon juice, pepper andchilli.

Whilemany people prefer the more traditional method of preparation for Nemchua, others enjoy a grilled and unfermented variety of Nem chua. Bothtraditional and grilled Nem chua are usually served with uncookedsliced garlic and nuoc mam (fish sauce). Whereas nuoc mam addssaltiness and spiciness, some prefer to use chili sauce instead.

Nemchua is best known to the expatriate community and internationaltourists who have taken an interest in Vietnamese cuisine in recentyears...

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