Rice rolls with grilled meat a 55-year Hue culinary journey
Located on the north side of the Perfume River in Hue, Kim Long Village is a historic place that is regarded as the origin of traditional Hue culture. The village has a rich culinary tradition, with many Hue specialties, and one of them is banh uot cuon thit nuong – grilled meat wrapped in steamed rice paper.
The rice rolls from Kim Long are famous for their unique taste, which comes from careful methods, making the rolls by hand, cooking the meat over charcoal, and mixing the secret sauce.
One of the popular places that serve this dish is Huyen Anh shop. It is at 50 Kim Long Street and has been a long-standing and busy shop, attracting both locals and visitors to enjoy its food.
Nguyen Thi Hang said that the shop’s history started in 1968 when her husband’s parents, Le Canh Anh and Huyen Ton Nu Thi Dinh, opened a rice roll shop to earn extra money from their jobs as teachers. Now, more than 50 years later, their descendants still keep the family tradition alive.
Grilled meat wrapped in steamed rice paper are a common dish in Hue, eaten for breakfast, lunch, or snacks. Huyen Anh’s eatery is open all day, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the high tourist season, the eatery often runs out of food between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The main ingredients are moist rice paper, grilled meat, fresh herbs, and a special sauce for dipping. The rice paper is made from rice flour, which is made in-house.
Rice is carefully chosen, processed, and milled into flour, which is then blended into a batter and cooked into thin, soft, 20-centimeter long square sheets. Achieving the ideal texture requires a precise proportion of flour and water and skilled cooking methods. Finished rice sheets are served right away.
The pork is cut thinly, seasoned with spices, and cooked to a golden brown. This tasty meat is put on a moist rice sheet with fresh herbs and rolled up to make the dish. The seasoning ensures that the cooked meat is delicious and full of flavor.
The sauce for dipping, regarded as the “heart” of the dish, makes it unique. Besides the traditional sweet and sour fish sauce, Huyen Anh’s shop also has soy sauce with sesame.
In response to customer requests, the shop has started making nem lui – pork rolls.
Huyen Anh’s restaurant continues to uphold its reputation for offering reasonably priced dishes. A serving of five rice rolls with grilled meat is priced at VND25,000 ($1), while grilled meat vermicelli is priced at VND35,000.
For those seeking the deliciousness of grilled meat alone, a plate costs VND70,000, and pork rolls are available at VND60,000 per plate.
