Rice Papers

Like tortillas in Mexico, rice papers are the all-purpose food wrappers of Vietnam. They are made by combining finely ground rice, water, salt, and sometimes tapioca (cassava) flour, then rolling out the mixture into paper-thin rounds and drying the rounds on bamboo mats in the sun. When dry the rounds look glassy and brittle, the crosshatch patterns from the bamboo showing through. When wet, they are translucent and pleasantly chewy. To use rice papers for wrapping, first submerge the dry round in a bowl of warm water until malleable and relatively soft. Then remove the rice paper from the water and let sit for a minute or so to soften a bit more. To fill and roll rice papers, use your chopsticks to transfer the desired fillings onto the center of the paper in a fairly neat straight line, spreading each ingredient so that (with every bite you will taste every flavor, then roll and fold into a neat package. Category:Glossary