A Taste of Haldimand – October 2, 2025

When I tasted Caroline Nguyen’s spring rolls, I immediately wanted her recipe! She was happy to share it with me and suggested I look at her blog “Vietnamese Cooking and More”.

Caroline and her husband Tuan have lived on a 50-acre farm in rural Jarvis for close to 20 years. She said they absolutely love living in Haldimand County. Caroline and Tuan have been married almost 30 years and have 10 children – yes, 10 children – aged nine to 26. There are five boys and five girls.

There were a number of items in the ingredient list of this dish that I was not familiar with. Daikon is an Asian white radish. Nuoc Cham is Vietnamese for dipping sauce; the sauce is Thai chili sauce diluted with water. The wood ear mushrooms are a specific type of mushroom that can be purchased whole or sliced. They need to be soaked in water for about 20 minutes before adding to your recipe. The same goes for the noodles. Once soaked they will be clear, and you can cut them to a smaller size. These ingredients can be purchased in an Asian supermarket or a larger grocery store with a dedicated Asian food section. It’s fun to learn about different cultural dishes, so I hope you enjoy this one!