Bo Bia Chinese Sausage Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce Recipe

Bo Bia is a common street food in Vietnam made made of chinese sausage, jicama, carrots, dried shrimp, and slivers of thinly scrambled egg. Although the word "bo" means beef, there is no beef in this whatsoever. The dish and name likely derived from Chinese Teochow immigrants in Vietnam who had a similar dish called "Popiah" pronounced "Bo-BEE-a" The Chinese version however is made with a thin wheat crepe, but being in Vietnam, the Chinese immigrants quickly adapted the rice paper to their tradtional dish.  The stuffing however can be diverse and include other items such as tofu, bean sprouts, and lettuce. The traditional dipping sauce is typically hoisin based.

We served these at our 24x24 Spring for Spring Roll Party and it was a nice variation to you typical spring roll.  For a vegetarian version, try substituting the chinese sausage for strips of sauteed tofu and eggs for shitake mushrooms. 

Bo Bia with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Printable Recipe

• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup jicama, thinly sliced match stick size
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 package chinese sausage, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/4 cup small dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes and drained
• 1 ts fish sauce
• salt and pepper 
• rice paper

Peanut Sauce

• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon of oil
• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of hoison sauce
• hot water
• optional chili sambal
• crushed roasted peanuts

In medium sauce pan, lightly add oil and sautee garlic, shallots, ginger until fragrant and mix together equal portions of peanut butter and hoison sauce under low heat. Slowly mix in hot water--a few tablespoons at a time and stir to incorporate and thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. You can always adjust this sauce to your taste--if you like sauce more hoison or peanut flavor, add bigger portion of each respectively.  Season with any additional salt to taste.  Just before serving add crush roasted peanuts and optional chili.   Store in airtight container, lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place the cut sausages in on foil lined cookie pan and place in oven for about 10-15 minutes. You just want the sausages to just turn golden red and fat to melt--set aside to cool.

Scramble the eggs and season lightly with salt and pepper. In large nonstick saute pan with small amount of cooking oil add the scrambled eggs and make a very thin paper like omelet. Make several batches if necesssary.  No need to flip. Remove when it is golden yellow and allow to cool. Then julienne into then strips and set aside.

In same pan, on medium low, heat a small amount of cooking oil and saute the carrots, jicama, shrimp and season with fish sauce and pepper to taste. Cook until carrots and jicama are just barely wilted. Remove and set aside.

Now you have everything you need to assemble your bo bia. Dip rice paper in lukewarm water and when soft and pliable, add your veggie mixture, eggs, and finally your sausage and roll.

Bo bia...pretty elegant street food wouldn't you say? 

 If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe and