Nem chua

Nem chua is a fermented pork dish from Vietnamese cuisine.^[1] It is mainly composed of a mixture of lean pork and thin strips of cooked rind, garnished with garlic and chilli. It can take the form of bite-size pieces wrapped individually in aluminum foil and paper, or a kind of cervelat in sealed plastic. Traditionally the leaves of star gooseberry tree (chùm ruột), strawberry guava (cây ổi, ổi sẻ), cluster fig (sung), Ming aralia (đinh lăng), the oriental coral tree Erythrina orientalis (vông nem), or Indian coral tree are used to wrap nem chua, with a thick layer of banana leaves on the outside. It has a sweet-sour taste characteristic of lactic fermentations, a pink color and a firm and elastic texture.

In Vietnam, it is generally eaten raw,^[2] but European health rules make it recommended to cook the products sold there. It has a shelf life of less than a week and is often consumed in raw form after the fermentation process. It is a popular food in different parts of Southeast Asia, in various preparations, seasonings and flavors, mainly sour and spicy. Nem chua is used as an ingredient in various dishes and is also served raw in its raw form as a side dish.

Advanced fermentation results in acidification which makes nem chua (« sour nem »), with lighter fermentation producing nem ngọt (« sweet nem »).