While there are many dishes that have yet to earn their ID plaque, one dish however, is hogging up all the names that are badly needed elsewhere.  I’m talking about the ambiguously labeled goi cuon.  Goi cuon is the chameleon of Vietnamese dishes, changing its name accordingly with the season… that’s in season.  Although the literal translation for goi cuon is salad (goi) roll (cuon), it is also known as fresh roll, spring roll, and summer roll.  And, if I’m not mistaken, some people call it winter roll and autumn roll, but there’s a good chance I am.

salad rolls

Underneath the rice paper is what looks to be a healthy group of ingredients that, when spotted together, could put a 15 minute session on the treadmill to shame.  The combination of peeled boiled shrimp, lettuce, herbs, vermicelli, cucumber, and possibly others, are consistent with the ingredients of most healthy salads.  This ’salad’ is placed on a sheet of rice paper and ‘rolled’ into a roll.  I think ’salad’ makes a very strong argument for being crowned the title.

Chinese spring rolls

So where did the name ’spring roll’ come from?  It is possible that people confused the salad roll for the Chinese spring roll, which is a crunchier, deep fried version of the salad roll.  Not to mention the ingredients and flavours are very different, too.  What about ’summer roll’ and ‘fresh roll’?  Again, there’s a strong possibility that these names were coined to associate the salad roll with freshness, as opposed to the deep fried spring roll. 

Although its English name is still debatable, one thing for sure, it isn’t the label that defines goi cuon as a refreshing, rolled up salad that can be enjoyed in all seasons…

P.S. Did you know that the Vietnamese have their own version of the deep fried spring roll, called Vietnamese spring roll?  More on that later.