Pork-filled rice paper rolls: a dish that Da Nang people serve to honored guests

If a Da Nang local invites you to eat bánh tráng cuốn thịt heo (rice paper rolls with boiled pork), that's usually an invitation that carries real weight. This is a dish for lingering at the table with a big group — you wrap it yourself while chatting away, not something to eat quickly on your own. Deceptively simple in composition: thinly sliced boiled pork (the best pieces are those with fat at both ends, commonly called two-sided pork), about twenty varieties of fresh herbs and vegetables, sun-dried rice paper along with thin rice paper, and a bowl of fish sauce dip. Fresh shrimp paste is the main character. Fish sauce made from small fish mixed with finely minced fragrant pineapple, garlic, chili, and a touch of sugar. Newcomers might find the smell overpowering, but if you substitute it with sweet and sour fish sauce, you'll completely ruin it. How to roll: spread thin rice paper, place vegetables then meat, roll to fit your hand — don't greedily overstuff, if you roll it too big then it falls apart and is hard to dip. The price is usually calculated by meat portion, around 100-150 thousand for 2-3 people to eat full. Vegetables and rice paper are almost unlimited.