The egg rolls I tried in Viet Nam were smaller, denser than I remembered from LA’s China Town offerings. The filling was bound, like a little salty meatloaf, instead of the looser fillings I was used to. I watched the street vendors and the little shops operators make the egg rolls and learned they were all, well, made differently. How could you find an authentic Vietnamese egg roll when everyone made them differently? This recipe represents a compilation of street vendor egg rolls I noted from Phan Rang and Tuy Hoa, 1965-66. Also, it was here that I learned about spring rolls, the sometimes unfried cousin of the egg roll in a rice paper wrapper..

• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bean sprouts, lightly chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and peper, to taste
• 1 package 20 eggroll skins

• 6 green onions, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1. Coarsely grate carrot. Lightly chop sprouts to shorten length.
2. Mix all ingredints together.
3. Place 3 tablespoons of the mixture in center of each wrapper.
4. Brush edges of wrapper with water. Fold sides over, fold botom up, roll eggroll and seal flap.
5. Fry in medium hot (about 370°F) oil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until wrapper is nicely browned and crispy.
6. Cool on rack or paper towels. Serve with dipping sauce. Peanut sauce and a fish sauce, Nuoc Cham, are popular in Vietnam. Even though they are not traditional, don't over look catsup, sweet and sour sauce or honey mustard.