Destination
Pattaya
The story
Porpia sod ("fresh spring rolls") is Thailand's answer to Vietnamese summer rolls: soft rice-paper wrappers rolled around a mix of lettuce, cooked prawn, sweet Chinese sausage (kun chiang, sliced thin), glass noodles, bean sprouts, mint, coriander and a few sprigs of Thai basil. Served with a small dish of the classical Thai plum-tamarind dipping sauce — a specifically Thai preparation of sweet plum sauce, tamarind, chili and crushed peanuts. Sold at Bangkok upscale restaurants and modern Thai cafes; not a common street-food dish (that's the fried version, porpia thod), but the classical fresh version is the light Thai starter.
Method
In a small saucepan, combine plum sauce, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, chili and water. Simmer 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in lime juice and crushed peanuts. Cool. Divide between small dishes.
Have all fillings (prawns, sausage, noodles, lettuce, sprouts, herbs, cucumber, carrot) prepped and arranged on a tray in small piles.
Fill a shallow dish with warm water (not hot — too hot dissolves the paper). Have a clean tea towel or damp cutting board for rolling.
Dip one rice paper into the warm water for 5 to 8 seconds until just pliable. Lift out and lay flat on the damp cutting board.
In the middle of the wrapper: place a lettuce leaf, then a small handful of glass noodles, then 2 prawn halves, 2 sausage slices, cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts and a fistful of herbs.
Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling. Fold in the two sides. Roll tightly from bottom to top into a fat cylinder.
Repeat with remaining wrappers. Arrange 2 rolls per plate. Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side.
For a party: set out all fillings on the table with a bowl of warm water. Let guests roll their own — this is the Thai family way.
Tips
- Warm water, not hot. Hot water dissolves the rice paper. A brief 5-second dip is enough.
- Roll tight. Loose rolls fall apart when eaters bite in.
- Chinese sweet sausage is the flavour marker. Do not substitute regular sausage or bacon — the specific sweet Chinese sausage is what makes porpia sod Thai.
- Assemble at the last moment. Fresh spring rolls do not hold — they get sticky and soft within 30 minutes.
More recipes
View all
Deep-fried rice vermicelli tossed in a bright orange sweet-sour tamarind-vinegar sauce with prawn, tofu and Chinese chives. Bangkok's regal celebration noodle.
Thai instant noodle brand Mama transformed into a proper meal: tom yum broth, minced pork, prawn, kaffir lime and a runny yolk fried egg. Thailand's midnight comfort food.
Fresh rice vermicelli in a tangy tomato-pork rib broth spiced with dried chili and Chinese black cardamom, topped with pig's blood cubes and beansprouts. Chiang Mai's Sunday-morning noodle.
Chopped crispy pork belly stir-fried hard with garlic, bird's-eye chili, fish sauce and holy basil. Served over rice with a fried egg — Thailand's fastest lunch.
Open-top steamed dumplings filled with pork, prawn, water chestnut and Thai sweet soy, served with a fierce chili-vinegar dipping sauce. Bangkok Chinatown's dim sum classic.
Yellow noodles stir-fried Hokkien-style with prawns, squid, pork, kai lan and dark soy. Bangkok Chinatown's Chinese-Thai classic, tossed in a screaming wok.