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Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom) Recipe
October 28th, 2008Recipes, Appetizer Recipes, Recipes, Eating Light, Recipes, Recipes, Vietnamese Recipes31 Comments
I’d never tried Vietnamese food before I came to the United States. There was no Vietnamese restaurant in my hometown and Vietnamese cuisine had never crossed my mind. Then, Thai food was the only exotic food I knew.
I first tasted Vietnamese food when I was attending graduate school in the Midwest. Stuck in the middle-of-no-where AKA Fargoland, Vietnamese food was a treat to my taste buds. I loved the familiar southeast Asian flavors: the noodle dishes, the steaming hot pho, the rice plates, the fresh bean sprouts, herbs, mint leaves, and oh yeah, fish sauce. Vietnamese food reminded me of the tastes of home–well, not quite, but they were close. It was comfort food back then and I gradually fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine.
Chao tom, or Vietnamese sugar cane shrimp is one of the appetizer dishes that I absolutely adore. While I always order them at restaurants, I have never attempted to make chao tom at home until recently. I got myself some fresh sugar cane and adapted my recipe of tau hu ky (shrimp paste with bean curd skin) and deep-fried them. (The traditional way of making sugar cane shrimp or chao tom is grilling.)
The sweet thing about making these chao tom (sugar cane shrimp) at home was that I could wrap as much shrimp paste around the sugar cane as possible, so every bite was a mouthful of delicious and springy shrimp paste. Yum!
(Click Page 2 for the Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp Recipe)
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I love chao tom with vermicelli and drenched in fish sauce. to have your chao tom recipe, so now I can just add bun to it and I have a bowl of bun chao tom. :)
It’s been a while since I drop by – been so busy that I’m even neglecting my own blog :P
What I love about Chao Tom is at the end of eating it, where you can bite on sugarcane and suckle on the sweet jus. MMm!
This Vietnamese dish instantly reminds me of Thailand’s deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves. It is comfort food to me while overseas. I have my fair share while in HCMC. It is a wonderful aromatic dish with a sweet after-taste (from chewing the sugarcane). Cheers to good cooking!
Your photography is really top notch.Please keep up the good work.
The first time I had this was in Saigon — from a street seller — for breakfast! I think I’ve been hooked ever since. What a wonderful treat!
Yummm I love these! I even like to chew the “skewers” once the shrimp is gone.
Oh, don’t those look delicious! Are you supposed to eat the sugarcane at the end? Because I don’t think I’d be able to resist! :)
You are such a great cook. All your recipes looks so yummy….
Looks delicious!
Do you have to pat dry the sugar cane also? I am wondering how to ensure the shrimp paste well around the sugar cane before I deep fry them?
Thanks.
limpepsi
Yummy as usual! Now, I just have to try it but I already have a stack of them to try on my desk.For my health’s sake, I should definitely stop blog- hopping !
I have seen this on Vietnamese restuarant menu but haven’t tried making them myself. J’adore!!
i want tht too. where did u get the sugarcane fr?
I made something similar recently but my shrimp paste was flatter(cos running out of paste :P )…yours is big, fat and so tempting!
I love this dish but it definitely was a “special-occasion” treat when I was growing up. You’ve inspired me to make it at home now!
I love these sugar cane shrimp skewers! These look so plump: more goodness to have.
All – thanks for your comments.
Limpepsi – by freezing the shrimp paste, it makes it easier to handle. Yes, pat dry the sugar cane quarters. If you want, you can just pat the shrimp paste with a little flour before you drop them into the oil.
this is my favourite vietnamese appetizer too! i always order it when i’m having vietnamese food. thanks for sharing the recipe. now can try to make it at home :)
This looks delicious…
Didn’t even think about making this at home.
We used to eat Vienamese food in KL. They are delicious and yet not so spicy to my hubby n mil. We were talking about this sugar cane shrimp and glad to find the recipe here. Your photos are so beautiful! I am drooling…;)
Isn’t great that when we cook at home, we can have as much ingredients as we want in our dishes? I like the “fat” version of your chao tom, looks so yummy!
Isn’t great that when we cook at home, we can have as much ingredients as we want in our dishes? I like the “fat” version of your chao tom, looks so yummy!
Just to clarify chao tom is the name for the shrimp patty you make and place on the sugarcane.
The proper name for this is tom mi (tom-shrimp and mi-sugarcane).
Looks lovely.
Oh I have to make this! I just bought 2 bags of frozen shrimp on sale for half price. This is perfect. And, we are lucky here to have a Vietnamese restaurant just down the block!
I would love to try these.
I am so making this! Been thinking about doing something like this for ages, but never have the bravery to try it out. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Add 1/4 tsp baking soda to the recipe you’ll get an even smother texture :-)
Thank you for the great recipe. We recently made it and was great!
Awesome. Are you going to post on your site?
yup.. we just did a few days ago. :) Thanks again and keep up the great work.
OK…it’s official, I’m a terrible cook. This recipe seems like a cakewalk, and I managed to mess it all up. There was something extremely suspect with the way mine turned out, I used the freshest shrimp that I could (was alive when I bought it), and still failed. I so far back I don’t think there is a drawing board to go back to!
This Vietnamese dish instantly reminds me of Thailand’s deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves. It is comfort food to me while overseas. I have my fair share while in HCMC. It is a wonderful aromatic dish with a sweet after-taste (from chewing the sugarcane). Cheers to good cooking!