All the shops sell “Chả ram bắp” - spring rolls with minced pork and corn - near the
primary school Nguyen Trai, or the crossroad by the university which is filled
with lovers on the weekend. It sounds quite funny, but Dalat is a city of love,
which means there are many romantic places where lovers can go to mingle. So
why do they chose a small and crowded place filled with the smell of exhaust.
There are many couples who have become husband and wife thanks to this special
street food.
“Chả ram bắp”- Spring rolls with mint pork and corn inside
The last time I visited Dalat was the end
of the spring in 2014. All of my friends were already married and busy with
their families and businesses. When we met each other we realized that besides
smiling faces and twinkling eyes we wore our age at the corners of our eyes. We
again met at the shop near the primary school Nguyen Trai selling “chả ram bắp” and talked about the old
time when we were students. This dish has its origin from the poor central
region where it is served with hot steamed rice because it is considered as
main dish, not just an appetizer like now in Dalat.
“Chả ram bắp” is made of corn. Baby corn
is mashed and mixed with chopped purple onion, spices and pepper, then rolled
in a thin rice paper and deep fried. The sauce is made of ground peanuts and
minced pork with spices and ground chili. It is then cooked together until it
dissolved into a sauce. Vegetables (lettuce, herbs, basil, coriander, perilla
leaf, bean root…) and pickled cassava and carrot are combined together and
rolled in rice paper. It’s so delicious that you can keep eating it without
feeling full. The corn in the roll is a little bit sweet plus the fresh
vegetables and the sweet and sour from the pickle work well together. And
finally the salty and spicy taste of the sauce is the perfect addition.
While we all have the
means to eat out at luxury restaurants and sip on whiskey, these places don’t
feel as warm. Meeting one another after many years, returned to our childhood
as students sitting around this common dish and sharing our stories. Some of
them were happy and some were sad, but we told them all the same. No one cared
about the care the rain outside, even when it continued for two to three days.
The only thing that remained in everyone’s minds were the memories and
sometimes someone had a chuckle because they realized that their time has been
gone by quickly.
For further information please access
website: chiecthiavang.com
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