Okay, I admit it. I’m guilty. I was a picky eater. As a child, I was that one kid who pestered the waiter with a million substitutions. Eating at a family friend’s house was practically impossible. On my no-go list was an eclectic sort of herbs, ranch, butter, most vegetables, and pork.
I don’t know what it was about pork, maybe I watched Charlotte’s Web one too many times. But, this made many traditional Vietnamese dishes that my parents liked to prepare impossible for me.
But, when I was a young child, my parents opened up her very own Vietnamese restaurant. I thought this was the coolest thing in the world. I distinctly remember playing behind the bar and filling up my cup with all of the different sodas with the soda gun. I also appointed myself as the “entertainment” for the restaurant and would sing and dance outside of the door to “draw in the customers”.
For my pay? A hard-earned meal. For me, this meal was almost always the crispy shrimp triangles. They were kid-friendly, deep-fried, and absolutely delicious. I believe that the adults tried to convince me to try some other dishes once in a while, but I was a loyal kid.
To this day, whenever I take a friend to try Vietnamese food for the first time, crispy shrimp triangles are always the first dish I recommend. And hey, no one’s complained so far!
Why Crispy Shrimp Triangles?
Every lover of Asian cuisine is familiar with the spring roll. We can consider the spring roll to be an entry-level Asian food. However, the true connoisseurs out there, the Vietnamese cuisine foodies, are in on a secret: the Vietnamese Crispy Shrimp Triangles.
Traditionally, spring rolls are cylindrical in shape and are filled with a pork and veggie filling. Crispy shrimp triangles are similar in their wrapping, but differ in shape and filling. Obviously, as the name suggests, these appetizers are triangle-shaped and filled with shrimp.
I think these are a great alternative (or addition) to spring rolls because they offer a bit more crunch and flakiness. They’re also a fantastic option for those who don’t eat pork.
These also make great hors devours for a party because of their visual appeal. If you’re a bit fancy, you can leave the shrimp tail sticking out of one of the triangle corners. This will ensure that your party guests are thoroughly impressed!
Peel the shrimp. TIP: Cover all wrappers with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out while you work.
Ingredients
Instructions