The classic Vietnamese spring roll is composed of:
ground pork
crabmeat
shredded carrot
cellophane noodles
tree ear mushrooms
egg
minced onion
pressed garlic

The above ingredients are mixed in a bowl. Use your judgement w.r.t. proportions. Rice papers are soaked in lukewarm water for several minutes to soften. Dry off the excess moisture from a rice paper, and lay on a towel. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the end of the rice paper. Roll 1/2 way up, fold the sides against the now-encapsulated mixture, and roll the rest of the way. Press the roll together to seal. Storing the roll in the fridge for several hours will help the rolls to not explode when cooked.

Cook in canola oil (at least that's what I use;I've heard peanut oil is nice, but is very expensive) at 375 deg. F. Prevent newly-placed rolls from sticking to each other for the first minute or so in the hot oil. Cook until golden-brown.

Slice each roll into 1" thick sections, and serve with nuoc cham, lettuce, and mint. Place a piece of the roll into a piece of lettuce, with a mint leaf. Dunk into the nuoc cham. Enjoy.

I was surprised to see sydnius advocating the use of rice paper for these spring rolls, which are deep fried. More usually, rice paper sheets are used to wrap fresh, uncooked spring rolls, dubbed Vietnamese summer rolls by hatless in the annals of everything. For deep fried spring rolls, most people use egg roll wrappers, also known as egg roll skins or wonton wrappers. You can buy these wrappers by the hundreds at your local Asian grocery store.

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