What is Bo Bia?
Bò Bía, is a northern Vietnamese spring roll appetizer that was most likely inspired by our Chinese neighbor. It’s a fresh rice paper roll, filled with thinly sliced eggs, Chinese sausage, jicama, carrots, dried shrimp, and Thai basil leaves. Serve with a side of peanut dipping sauce for a delicious appetizer.
Jicama
The bulk of these spring rolls is the jicamas. Jicamas don’t taste like anything. It simply takes up the flavors of the other ingredients and provides a nice crunch to the spring rolls.
Thai Basil
I love the taste of the Thai basil in these spring rolls. It provides a lovely aroma and a sharp contrasting flavor. Some Vietnamese restaurants replace the Thai basil with lettuce as a cheaper alternative and as a way to make the rolls appear more voluminous. You can add lettuce to these spring rolls, but don’t please exclude the Thai basil. It just doesn’t taste the same without them.
Dried Shrimp
The toasted dried shrimp provides the bulk of the flavor. I have lured people to the kitchen from just the smell of the toasted dried shrimp. The umami smell of toasted dried shrimp, fried with shallots, is simply amazing.
Peanut Sauce for Bo Bia
The sauce for these spring rolls is a sweet and thick peanut sauce, topped with coarsely chopped toasted peanuts. For a spicy kick, I like to add Sriracha or Sambal chili sauce. The peanut sauce can be added inside the spring rolls or served on the side. I prefer mine on the side. I love using the spring rolls to scoop up heaping mounds of sauce at the beginning of each bite. It’s just the way I roll.
Link to the peanut sauce recipe here.
How to Wrap Bo Bia
Wet your rice paper quickly water then transfer it to a large plate.
Start with a thin layer of basil or any other green vegetables. Place them towards the bottom of the moistened rice paper.
Next, add the jicama, carrot, and shrimp mixture. This mixture has more rigid structures so adding them in second will tuck them in the middle of the spring rolls, preventing them from breaking the rice paper.
Next is your layer of eggs.
Lastly, place the Chinese sausage towards the top or middle. This makes it more visible through the rice paper when the rolls are finished. See illustrations below.
Start rolling everything up from the bottom, tucking and rolling midway up. Fold in the sides then continue to roll up to seal.
