Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom)

4.50 from 38 votes
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Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (chao tom) - Sugar cane shrimp (chao tom) is a Vietnamese appetizer. Easy chao tom and sugar cane shrimp recipe. A must try.

Asian sugarcane shrimp recipe. This is the most AMAZING appetizer ever. Shrimp wrapped around with sweet sugarcane and deep-fried and served with sweet chili sauce. Slurp! | rasamalaysia.com
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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.

Asian sugarcane shrimp recipe. This is the most AMAZING appetizer ever. Shrimp wrapped around with sweet sugarcane and deep-fried and served with sweet chili sauce. Slurp! | rasamalaysia.com

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!


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 202 calories per serving.

Asian sugarcane shrimp recipe. This is the most AMAZING appetizer ever. Shrimp wrapped around with sweet sugarcane and deep-fried and served with sweet chili sauce. Slurp! | rasamalaysia.com

What To Serve With Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.50 from 38 votes

Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom)

Asian sugarcane shrimp recipe. This is the most AMAZING appetizer ever. Shrimp wrapped around with sweet sugarcane and deep-fried and served with sweet chili sauce. Slurp!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, smaller shrimp
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 dashes fish sauce
  • 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
  • 2 dashes white pepper powder
  • 2 teaspoons lard or cooking oil
  • sugar cane, skin peeled and quartered into 5-inch length

Instructions 

  • Rinse and devein the shrimp, then pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place the shrimp, garlic, white pepper, and lard or cooking oil into a food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms. Transfer the shrimp paste to a bowl.
  • Beat the egg white with an electric hand mixer until frothy. Combine the shrimp paste with the beaten egg white and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then divide the shrimp paste into four equal portions.
  • Oil both hands and wrap the shrimp paste around the sugar cane, shaping it nicely while leaving 1.5 inches of the sugar cane exposed. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the chao tom until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 428mg, Sodium: 1466mg, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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