What is rice paper and how is it used in cooking?
Very popular on TikTok, rice paper is an edible wrapper that is rehydrated with a little water and is used for spring rolls, pizzas and empanadas.
Rice paper is a transparent, edible wrapper made from rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water. It is sold dry and dehydrated. Previously, it didn't contain tapioca flour and took a long time to soften; now it rehydrates almost instantly with a little water. Although its name might sound strange to some, Vietnamese cuisine uses it as a harmless and completely edible ingredient.
Its most well-known use is in Vietnamese spring rolls, also called summer rolls, whose ingredients vary greatly depending on the region. Because the paper is delicate, it requires careful handling.
The key is not to leave it in the water too long. Cookbook author Andrea Nguyen recommends using a container as wide as the paper towel, filled with warm water, like a bathtub. Submerge the paper towel, quickly turn it over, and submerge it again; in seconds it should be soft enough to roll up, she explained to Food & Wine.
For the rolls, Nguyen suggests thin ingredients that won't pierce the paper, such as thinly sliced cucumber and tofu, tender green leaves, carrots, and herbs like mint and basil.
Paper is also used for pizzas and dumplings. Bánh tráng nướng, a Vietnamese street food known as Vietnamese pizza, has become popular thanks to TikTok. Kylie shared a version that has received 5.3 million views and 438,000 likes: the paper is heated in a pan, chili oil and an egg are added, and it's topped with chopped scallions, mayonnaise, and sriracha. According to the video, the dish is ready in five minutes.
