Rice Papers

These Vietnamese rice papers (Banh Tran brand) are often beautifully textured by the imprint of the bamboo trays they dry on. They are very thin dried sheets, made from rice flour and water, usually round, and are used as wrappers for a Vietnamese-style spring roll. The dried sheets are very briefly soaked in water to soften them and then rolled around a filling and deep-fried to a light and crisp texture. Unlike the traditional Chinese wrappers, the filled rice papers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three hours before frying. Once they are fried, they can be kept crisp in a low oven for up to two hours. The influx of Vietnamese immigrants of Chinese origin into Hong Kong created the popularity for Vietnamese-style food, with a Hong Kong flair.