Vietnamese · appetizer

Cha Gio (Fried Spring Rolls)

Name: Cha Gio (Fried Spring Rolls)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 lb ground pork; 8 oz shrimp, peeled and minced; 2 oz glass noodles, soaked; 2 oz wood ear mushrooms, soaked and chopped; 1 medium carrot, julienned; 1/2 cup taro, julienned; 1 shallot, minced; 1 egg; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 20 rice paper wrappers; oil for frying; nuoc cham for dipping; lettuce and mint for wrapping

Cha Gio (Fried Spring Rolls) reads umami 7.4, funk & ferment 5.9 and salinity 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese appetizer, about 50 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.1 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 2.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.9 · Salinity 5.6 · Marine & Briny 5.2 · Richness 4.6 · Earthy 3.4 · Sweetness 2.8 · Allium 2.4 · Sourness 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.1 · Herbaceous 1.1 · Fruity 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8 · Nutty 0.8 · Heat 0.7 · Floral 0.5

What's in it (14)

1 lb ground pork
8 oz shrimp, peeled and minced
2 oz glass noodles, soaked
2 oz wood ear mushrooms, soaked and chopped
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2 cup taro, julienned
1 shallot, minced
1 egg
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
20 rice paper wrappers
oil for frying
nuoc cham for dipping
lettuce and mint for wrapping

Time & effort: about 50 min (30 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 235.8 kcal, 10.4 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 39.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Soak and chop glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms, then combine with ground pork, shrimp, carrot, taro, shallot, egg, fish sauce, and pepper.
Roll filling tightly in softened rice paper, sealing with egg wash.
Deep-fry on medium heat until golden and crispy, then serve wrapped in lettuce and herbs with nuoc cham.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Thai Spring Rolls (Por Pia Tod) — Thai
Banh Cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls) — Vietnamese
Herring Under a Fur Coat (Шуба) — Russian
Pissaladière — French · Provence
Jansson's Temptation (Janssons Frestelse) — Scandinavian

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.