Nem

Any Vietnamese person is pleasantly surprised to find the word nem in the French dictionary Grand Larousse, which gives it the following definition: “pâté imperial de petite taille” (small-sized imperial patty), with this additional information: “specialité vietnamiene” (a Vietnamese specialty)
This indication is, however, contradicted by another item in the same book: the word “paté imperial” goes together with the mention “cuisine chinoise” (Chinese cuisine).
At any rate, nem is Vietnamese and is fast becoming internationally known and appreciated. Throughout the world, one now finds about two million Vietnamese immigrants – “boat people” and others. From San Francisco to Paris, from Tokyo to Sydney, one can enjoy nem in any Vietnamese restaurant or food stall.

I have been told that in France a French-Lao couple has a thriving business turning out nem on a production line. Fast-food nem is also sold.

When I was child, my parents used the term “nem Sài Gòn” (Saigonese nem) to distinguish it from nem chua (sour nem), and item less known to foreigners. Nem chua is made in the following way: raw pork is finely minced, kneaded with roast-rice flour, and tightly wrapped in green leaves, then left to undergo fermentation. It may be served in “spring rolls” (cuốn) made of a piece of rice wafer softened with lukewarm water and stuffed with chopped nem, soya sprouts, lettuce, mint and coriander.

The commonly enjoyed nem (pâté imperial, nem Sài Gòn, or chả giò, its southern name) is prepared in the following way. One begins by making the stuffing by mixing chopped pork, crab meat, soya sprouts, mushrooms, vermicelli, shallots and egg yolk.
This is wrapped in rice wafers softened with lukewarm water. The rolls thus obtained are fried in deep fat or vegetable oil. Nem is served hot, together with rice vermicelli, lettuce, mint and a sweet-sour sauce made of nước nắm (fish brine) flavored with vinegar, a but of sugar and red pepper. It can also be accompanied by thin slices of green papaw, onion and garlic steeped in vinegar. The rolls may be cut into adequate mouthfuls with a pair of scissors.