Rice Papers

Vietnamese rice papers are often beautifully textured by the imprint of the bamboo trays on which they are placed to dry. They are very thin dried sheets, 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, then rolled around a filling and deep-fried to a light and crispy texture. Unlike the Chinese wrappers, the filled rice papers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 hours before frying. Once they are fried, they can be kept crisp in a low oven for up to 2 hours.