Time goes by quickly, many things have changed a lot, but the flavor of the fermented pork roll still goes with us on every ways of life.
With ones who were born in Thanh Hoa, the land of wind and sunshine, fermented pork roll is really an unforgettable dish. Indeed, the fermented pork of Thanh Hoa has become a big brand name that is famous in everywhere of the country.
Making fermented pork roll is really an artwork. The Thanh Hoa fermented pork roll is made from ground pork, boiled pigskin, powdered grilled rice and some spices such as Northern pepper, salt and monosodium glutamate.
According to the traditional experiences, grinding the pork in a stone mortar would make the pork crunchy, firm, and sticky. We should notice that the pork used to make fermented pork roll must be the lean meat. Slice the pork into small pieces, and then put it in a piece of thin material to filter.
We need to keep the pork dry so that the fermented pork roll would not be rotten and lose its typical smell. Cut the boiled pigskin into thin slices of about 3 centimeters and mix it with the pork and spices. Then, we turn to a crucial step, packing. The leaves that used for packing must be the king banana leaves.
Packing fermented pork roll depends on how clever and sensitive the maker is. People usually shape it into two forms, one is square and the other is thinner and longer.
After rolling the fermented pork, put a polyscias fruticosa leaf, a piece of chili and a slice of garlic on it.
These additives do not only make its flavor more attractive but also help to balance between cold (ferment pork roll) and hot (chili, garlic and polyscias fruiticosa). Tear the banana leaves into pieces that are as wide as the length of the pork roll. Wrap a layer (a layer contains seven leaves) of leaves around one or two polyscias fruitcosa leaves. Then, use a piece of leaf that is as big as your hand to wrap outside.
The layer of leaf using for wrapping must not be too thick, too thin or too tight so that the fermented pork roll would not be rotten.
When we finish wrapping, the fermented pork roll would be 10 or 15 times bigger than the real side of the pork roll. Finally, use a bamboo string to tie. Nowadays, in order to preserve the fermented pork roll better, people usually use a piece of cellophane to wrap before wrapping the banana leaf outside.
Maybe you will wonder why such a tiny fermented pork roll needs to be wrapped up in such a thick layer of leaf. That is because the leaves would help to keep the flavor of the fermented pork.
The square shape is the traditional shape of the fermented pork roll. However, nowadays, people prefer the long shape so that it would be easier to transport.
A good pack of fermented pork roll would have a pleasant sour taste, a little hot from chili and pepper. The strange taste from the polyscias fruticosa leaf helps to reduce the greasy taste of the pork roll. The fermented pork roll can be served with garlic fish sauce or chili sauce.
