Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 23:19:15 +0200, (Victor
> Sack) wrote:
>
> >Steve Wertz > wrote:
> >
> >> On Sun, 5 Oct 2003 21:42:55 +0200, (Victor
> >> Sack) wrote:
> >>
> >> >- What is 'nem', as 'in nem nuong cuon'? Minced pork? Meatballs? Is
> >> >this spring roll steamed or fried? Is it supposed to be served hot or
> >> >cold?
> >>
> >> Grilled pork meatball spring roll - fresh.
> >
> >'Fresh' meaning it is served cold?
>
> It's simply a spring roll, with sliced 'pinkish' pork meatballs
> instead of the long-sliced shrimp that most are accustomed to in fresh
> spring rolls.
>
> Sometimes the meatballs are more of a pate'. The rolls themsleves are
> served at room temperature.
>
> Most often, 'nem' refers to a cured pork contraption (of some sort,
> usually cured with phosphates), but can be any minced pork spread or
> meatball.
>
> I use the term 'spring roll' meaning they are wrapped with rice paper
> and conatining fresh greens - never fried, just as in thai cuisine.
>
> -sw
Sorry -- but the Nem Nuong that I have eaten a number of times in Saigon were
not wrapped in rice paper but in green leaves. Rice vermicelli was, however,
normally served with it. Most often the green leaves were lettuce leaves which
you wrapped yourself (like Sang Choy Bao) or else, in one upper class
restaurant claiming to serve 'imperial' Vietnamese food from Hue, wrapped in
some local, almost bitter leaf whose name I was never able to discover. But it
gave a delightful contrast to the pork. I agree, though, that the pork can
come in a variety of ways, although it seemed to me that pounding the pork
into sausage-like rissoles and then grilling them over charcoal before serving
them with the leaves etc, was the most common method.
--
Ken Berry