Snacks & Kuih · Vietnam

How Many Calories in Cha Gio?

Also known as Chả giò, Nem rán, Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls, Cha Gio Re.

Minced pork, prawn, taro, carrot, glass noodles and wood ear mushroom rolled in rice paper (south) or thin wheat wrappers (north, where it is nem ran) and deep fried until blistered. Sold 4 to 6 to a plate for 30,000 to 50,000 dong, or dropped on top of bun thit nuong.

480kcal / 1 plate (4 rolls) with nuoc cham
A single street cha gio weighing about 45g is around 115 calories, close to the 110 per roll in the National Institute of Nutrition table, and a plate of 4 with a bowl of nuoc cham is about 480. Roughly a third of that is frying oil soaked into the wrapper. The same roll fresh, as goi cuon, is 65.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (4 rolls) with nuoc cham (200g)AmountPer 100g
Calories480 kcal240 kcal
Protein18 g9 g
Carbs42 g21 g
Fat27 g14 g

Where the calories come from

Rice paper or wheat wrappers40g
130 kcal
Pork and prawn mince60g
130 kcal
Taro, carrot, glass noodles, wood ear60g
60 kcal
Frying oil absorbed18g
160 kcal
Nuoc cham40g
20 kcal

The real talk

The wrapper is the problem, not the filling. Before frying, a 45g cha gio is about 70 calories: 10g of rice paper or wheat skin at 35, 15g of pork and prawn mince at 35, and a spoon of taro, carrot and glass noodles at 15. Then it goes into the oil for 4 to 5 minutes and the wrapper drinks up 4 to 5g of it, which is 40 to 45 calories per roll. That is how you get to 110 to 115, and the NIN figure of 230 per 100g says the same thing. A double fried roll from a cart that keeps them warm in the oil is closer to 135.

Nobody eats one. The normal order is a plate of 4 to 6, so 460 to 690 before the sauce, and the nuoc cham bowl is another 20 if you finish it. Where cha gio really adds up is as a topping: one on your bun thit nuong takes a 480 bowl to 620, two takes it to 750. At a bia hoi table a plate of 6 nem ran with 2 beers is 1,000 calories and it is only the starter.

Filling changes less than people expect. Cha gio tom (prawn) is the lightest at around 85 per roll because prawn is lean. Cha gio chay with mung bean and mushroom sounds healthy but the NIN table lists it at 130 per 100g before frying, and once fried it lands at 100 to 110, the same as pork. Cha gio re, the lacy net wrapper version, soaks up the most oil and runs 140 to 150 each. Size matters more than filling: a fat Saigon roll can be 60g and 150 calories.

How the portions compare

115 kcal
1 roll
480 kcal
Plate of 4 rolls
700 kcal
Plate of 6 with sauce

Cha Gio variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Cha gio tom (prawn)85 kcalPer roll
Cha gio chay105 kcalPer roll, mung bean and mushroom
Cha gio thit (standard)115 kcalPer roll
Cha gio re (net wrapper)145 kcalPer roll, soaks up more oil
Bun thit nuong with 2 cha gio750 kcalThe usual Saigon order

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in 1 cha gio?
About 110 to 115 for a standard 45g roll, per the National Institute of Nutrition figure of 110. Bigger Saigon rolls of 60g are around 150.
Is cha gio the same as nem ran?
Yes. Nem ran is the northern name, cha gio the southern one. The north tends to use thinner wheat wrappers and cuts rolls into 3 or 4 pieces; calories per gram are about the same, 230 per 100g.
Cha gio or goi cuon, which has fewer calories?
Goi cuon, by a lot. A fresh roll is about 65 calories and a fried cha gio is 115, and the difference is entirely frying oil.
How many calories in cha gio chay?
Roughly 100 to 110 per fried roll, the same as pork. The filling is lighter but the wrapper still absorbs the same oil.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or quan serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition table via Long Chau and FPT Shop (110 per roll, 230 per 100g). Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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