Sugarcane prawns shaped by history

Chao tom, or sugarcane prawns, is a traditional Vietnamese dish from Hue in central Vietnam.

A political and cultural centre for more than 2,800 years, Hue last served as Vietnam’s imperial capital under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945.

Mince shallots, garlic and spring onions in a food processor, then add prawn meat, rice flour, sugar, fish sauce and pepper, and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Its cuisine is known for delicate portions and refined presentation – a legacy of the imperial court.

Chao tom is one of the dishes that embody this tradition, turning prawn paste and sugarcane into small, elegant morsels said to have been served to the Nguyen emperors and their royal household.

I remember having chao tom during a trip to Hue. My wife, a friend and I were wandering around a market square around dinner time, curiously eyeing the hawker fare when one of the women pointed at my friend and shouted, “You, sit!”

We took our places on low stools the surrounding patrons had vacated for us on the spot. One of the dishes served was chao tom.

This version was decidedly more rustic and not quite as refined as you might expect from an imperial kitchen, but it was flavourful.

Perhaps that is part of the charm of Hue’s food.

With wet hands, mould the prawn paste around the sugarcane stick, then set aside in the refrigerator to firm up.

Behind the delicate presentation and royal associations is food meant to be enjoyed.

The prawns were pan-fried over high heat, as they cook quickly. You may brush them lightly with oil and grill in an oven or over a live flame.

Sugarcane prawns can be served as an appetiser on its own, or as a topping for noodles and rice.

It is accompanied by plenty of fresh lettuce and herbs, which can be used to wrap the prawns before dipping in nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).

Peel off skin, then slit sugarcane into rods and cut into short sticks of about 10cm.

Although Hue cuisine is generally known for its bolder, spicier flavours, the prawn mixture itself is not particularly spicy. The heat in the nuoc cham can be adjusted to taste.

Vietnam has endured decades of war and upheaval, and Hue’s imperial city suffered extensive damage during conflicts of the 20th century. Its restoration, completed in 2024, has helped revive the historic heart of the former imperial capital, while its royal culinary traditions live on.

This sugarcane prawn recipe is therefore more than just a delicate appetiser – it is a small taste of Hue’s culinary heritage.

Sugarcane prawns, a juicy treat perfect with fresh herbs, lettuce and ‘nuoc cham’.

Chao tom

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic

2 stalks spring onion (white parts)

1 shallot

1kg prawns, shelled and deveined, yielding about 500g prawn meat

2 tbsp rice flour

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp white pepper

500g sugarcane, cut lengthwise into 10-cm sticks

1 cup cooking oil, for frying

Accompaniments

1 bunch leaf lettuce

1 sprig fresh mint

1 sprig fresh basil

1 sprig fresh coriander

Nuoc cham

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

4 tbsp cold water

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 red chilli, finely minced

Directions

Pulse the garlic, spring onion and shallot in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add prawn meat, rice flour, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper. Pulse until a coarse paste forms.

Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Wet your hands with water. Flatten about two tbsp of prawn paste in your palm and place a sugarcane stick in the centre.

Close your hand around the sugarcane, moulding the paste around it to form a lollipop or drumstick shape, using up all the paste and sugarcane.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the nuoc cham, stir fish sauce, brown sugar and cold water until the sugar dissolves. Add garlic and chilli.

Heat oil over high heat. Fry the sugarcane prawns for about two minutes on each side, until cooked through, crisp and lightly golden.

Serve with lettuce, fresh herbs and nuoc cham.