Home-style recipes from around the world

EN
Grilled, browned shrimp paste wrapped on sugarcane sticks, with lettuce, herbs and dipping sauce
Serves12 sticks (4–6 servings as a snack or appetizer)
CuisineVietnamese
Southeast Asia

Chạo Tôm: Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp on Sugarcane

How to make chạo tôm, the central Vietnamese snack of coarse shrimp paste pressed onto sugarcane sticks, steamed briefly to set, then grilled over medium-high heat. Makes 12 sticks to wrap in soft lettuce with cilantro, mint and red perilla and dip in nước chấm, for 4–6 people as a snack or appetizer.

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 10

Refresh and dry the shrimp

Peeled shrimp in a colander being rinsed under cold water
Rinse the salt off right away with plenty of cold water, then drain and blot dry

Put the peeled, deveined shrimp in a colander and toss them with a liberal amount of salt. Rinse right away under plenty of cold water, drain well, and blot dry with paper towels. This rinsing salt is not measured, and it does not count toward the paste. The paste salt is measured separately in the next step.

STEP 22 / 10

Process into a coarse paste

Shrimp and seasonings processed into a coarse paste, seen through a closed food processor
Stop while the paste is still coarse and lumpy

Chop the shrimp coarsely. Put the shrimp in the food processor with the generous 1/4 teaspoon paste salt, the cornstarch, palm sugar, black pepper and fish sauce. Add the lightly beaten egg, the garlic paste and the minced shallot. Close the lid and process only until you have a coarse paste, then stop. The paste should still look lumpy. Don't process it into a smooth mousse.

STEP 33 / 10

Stir in the oil and let the paste rest

A bowl of coarse shrimp paste, covered and resting
The covered paste firms up over 15 to 30 minutes

Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the 1 tablespoon of canola oil for the paste. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 15 to 30 minutes. The paste firms up as it rests. The recipe doesn't say where to rest it or at what temperature.

STEP 44 / 10

Cut 12 sugarcane sticks

Twelve thin, pale sugarcane sticks cut from canned sugarcane
Cut the sticks lengthwise to 1/4 to 1/2 inch across and blot them dry

Take 3 to 4 sections from the can of sugarcane. Cut them lengthwise into 12 sticks, each 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Blot the sticks dry with paper towels. You only need these 12 sticks, so you can keep the rest of the can for another use.

STEP 55 / 10

Set out the lettuce, herbs and sauce

Soft lettuce, cilantro, mint, red perilla and a bowl of dipping sauce on the table
Have the leaves, herbs and shared sauce ready on the table

Arrange the lettuce, cilantro, mint and red perilla on a plate. Pour the prepared nước chấm into a communal bowl. You can do this before or after preparing the steamer in the next step.

STEP 66 / 10

Prepare the steamer

Brushing a thin layer of oil onto parchment in a steamer tray
A thin sheen of oil on the parchment is enough

Line the steamer tray with parchment paper and lightly oil it, using some of the oil for the outside. Fill the steamer pot with water so it can be brought to a boil for steaming. Save the rest of the outside oil for the grill.

STEP 77 / 10

Shape the paste onto the sticks

A wet hand pressing coarse shrimp paste around the middle of a sugarcane stick
Leave both ends of the cane bare and press the paste to it with a wet hand

Keep a bowl of water nearby. Wet one hand and scoop 2 tablespoons of paste into that palm. Spread it into a round about 2 1/2 inches wide and a good 1/4 inch thick. Lay a sugarcane stick across the middle, with both ends sticking out, and close your hand to press the paste around the cane. Hold the stick with your dry hand and turn it while you lightly pat the surface smooth with your wet hand. Repeat to make 12 sticks.

STEP 88 / 10

Steam briefly to set

Shrimp paste on sugarcane, opaque and slightly puffed in the steamer
After 3 to 4 minutes the paste is opaque and slightly puffed

Steam the sticks over boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp paste is opaque, slightly puffed, and just cooked through. Twelve sticks don't need to fit on one tray, so steam in batches if needed. Transfer the steamed sticks to a plate to cool. The minutes and visual cues are guides, not a verified food-safety temperature.

STEP 99 / 10

Grill over medium-high heat

Sugarcane sticks being turned on the grill as the shrimp begins to brown
Turn the sticks often until the paste sizzles and browns in patches

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Lightly coat the shrimp part of each stick with the remaining outside oil. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until the paste sizzles and browns in places. Then move the sticks to a platter. These times are guides; no internal temperature or safety guarantee is given.

STEP 1010 / 10

Slice, wrap and dip

A strip of shrimp paste taken off the sugarcane, placed in lettuce with herbs
Lay a strip of paste in a lettuce leaf with herbs, then dip

Make three lengthwise cuts through the shrimp paste on each stick, so it comes off in four long, narrow strips. Only the paste is cut; don't cut the cane into short pieces. Pull the strips off the cane. Wrap a little in a lettuce leaf with herbs, then dip it in the nước chấm.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

1 / 1

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tôm) 1 pound (13 ounces net weight) The paste itself. Use 13 oz of shrimp that is already peeled and deveined
Salt, for refreshing the shrimp A liberal amount (not measured) Tossed with the shrimp and rinsed off right away. Not part of the paste
Salt, for the paste Generous 1/4 teaspoon Seasons the paste. Measure it separately from the rinsing salt
Cornstarch 2 teaspoons Processed with the shrimp into the paste
Palm sugar 2 packed teaspoons Pound or crush finely before measuring
Black pepper Generous 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground is suggested
Fish sauce 2 teaspoons Seasoning for the paste
Large egg 1, lightly beaten A whole egg, beaten before it goes into the processor
Garlic 2 cloves Minced, then crushed into a paste
Shallot 2 tablespoons, minced Aromatic for the paste
Canola oil, for the paste 1 tablespoon Stirred into the paste after processing
Canned sugarcane 1 can (20 ounces) Cut 12 sticks from 3–4 of the sections. You won't need the whole can
Canola oil, for the outside 1–2 tablespoons For oiling the steamer parchment and lightly coating the shrimp before grilling. Keep it separate from the paste oil. You may not use all of it
Soft leaf lettuce, such as red leaf, green leaf or butter lettuce 1 small head The wrapper at the table
Cilantro 8–12 sprigs Herb for wrapping
Mint 8–12 sprigs Herb for wrapping
Red perilla (tía tô) 8–12 sprigs Herb for wrapping
Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (nước chấm) 3/4 US cup, prepared The dip. Have it made before you start
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Chạo Tôm: Coarse Shrimp Paste, Pale Sugarcane, and a Leaf to Wrap It All

What this plate should keep

The shrimp paste should stay coarse, not smooth. It sets in the steamer first, then picks up sizzle and browned patches on the grill. At the table, the paste comes off the cane and goes into a soft lettuce leaf with herbs and a dip of nước chấm.

A platter of browned shrimp sticks sits in the middle of the table. Next to it are a head of soft lettuce, sprigs of cilantro, mint and red perilla, and a shared bowl of dipping sauce. Each guest slices the shrimp off a stick, tucks a strip into a leaf with a few herbs, and dips it. This is how Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen presents chạo tôm, which she describes as a Vietnamese appetizer and party food to share with friends.

The method follows her published recipe. Shrimp is chopped and pulsed with seasonings only until it forms a coarse paste. The paste is pressed around sticks of canned sugarcane, steamed for a few minutes to set, and then grilled. Her recipe makes 12 sticks, enough for 4 to 6 people as a snack or appetizer. It is not meant as a main course. Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe as a whole.

Name and spelling

The Vietnamese name is Chạo tôm, often written chao tom without diacritics. Andrea Nguyen's English title for it is "Grilled Shrimp on Sugarcane."

Ingredients for 12 Sticks

Prepared peeled shrimp, sugarcane sticks, seasonings, lettuce and herbs laid out as ingredients
Keep the paste oil and the outside oil in separate bowls from the start

This recipe uses 13 ounces of shrimp that is already peeled and deveined.

Equipment

  • Colander
  • Paper towels
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Food processor
  • Mixing bowl and something to cover it
  • Measuring spoons, including a tablespoon for portioning the paste
  • Small bowl of water for wetting your hand
  • Steamer with a tray, and parchment paper to line it
  • Pot of water for the steamer
  • Plate for the steamed sticks
  • Grill
  • Serving platter, and a communal bowl for the dipping sauce

Choosing and Swapping: What This Version Fixes

These are the decisions to make before you shop.

  • Shrimp: Start from 13 ounces of shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. The recipe gives no starting weight for shell-on shrimp, so this article doesn't estimate one.
  • Sugar: Andrea Nguyen lists light brown sugar as an alternative. This version uses palm sugar, crushed finely before measuring.
  • Fat: The original offers minced pork fatback or canola oil. This version uses 1 tablespoon of canola oil and adds no pork fat or bacon.
  • Sugarcane: The sticks come from a 20-ounce can of sugarcane. Cut them lengthwise from 3–4 sections to a diameter of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. The recipe gives no stick length, so cut them to whatever suits your sections. This article does not offer a substitute for the sugarcane.
  • Herbs: Cilantro and mint, plus red perilla (tía tô) as the third herb.
  • Sauce: Use 3/4 US cup of nước chấm you have already made.

Method: Coarse Paste, a Short Steam, Then the Grill

Order of work

Make the paste and let it rest. While it rests, cut the cane, set the table and prepare the steamer. You can set the table and prepare the steamer in either order. Then shape, steam, grill and serve.

Fixing Problems Along the Way

What you see What to check What to do
The paste looks smooth and mousse-like Processing time Next time, stop as soon as the mixture forms a coarse paste. The recipe aims for coarse
The paste feels soft right after you stir in the oil The resting step Cover it and give it the full 15–30 minutes. The recipe expects it to firm up during the rest
The paste sticks to your palm while shaping Whether your hand is wet Wet the hand that holds the paste. Keep the other hand dry for holding and turning the stick
The cane feels slick and the paste won't grip Moisture on the sticks Blot the cut sticks dry with paper towels before shaping
After 3–4 minutes of steaming, the paste isn't opaque or puffed yet The visual cues in the recipe Go by "opaque, slightly puffed, and just cooked through" as well as the clock. These are cooking cues, not a safety test
The sticks crowd each other in the steamer Tray size Steam in batches. Twelve is the yield, not the size of one tray

Other Published Versions of the Same Dish

Several cooks publish their own recipes for chạo tôm, and the formulas differ quite a bit. The recipe above follows only Andrea Nguyen's version. The versions below are useful for comparison, but their ingredients and methods don't belong in this recipe.

  • Helen Le (Helen's Recipes) uses 500 g peeled, deveined shrimp, with optional giò sống (Vietnamese pork paste) and scallion. Apart from the fish sauce, most of her seasonings are not measured. She throws the mixture against the bowl about 20 times. After shaping it on sugarcane, she offers two ways to cook it: frying, or a brief steam followed by grilling.
  • Chef Trịnh Tuấn Cường in Viet Nam News gives a four-serving recipe built on 1 kg of prawn, listed as "raw meat only." It also includes dill, chili, pork and egg white. He blends the mixture smooth, divides it into 60–80 g portions, rests it ten minutes and char-grills it until golden.
  • Mai Pham (Culinary Institute of America) published another version, but the amount and method for its pork fat or egg white are unclear. This recipe does not draw on it.

Where the Dish Comes From

Andrea Nguyen describes chạo tôm as a specialty of central Vietnam and as a traditional Vietnamese snack and party food. Helen Le's recipe page also files the dish under Central Vietnam as an appetizer, and Viet Nam News introduces Chef Cường's version as coming from central Vietnam. Each publication describes its own recipe. None of them sets a single fixed formula or gives a documented origin story, so this article doesn't add one.

In Andrea Nguyen's telling, the sugarcane does two jobs. It works as a skewer, and once the shrimp is off, the cane itself can be enjoyed for its sweet juice. She is the creator and editor of Viet World Kitchen, and describes herself as an author, freelance writer, editor, cooking teacher and consultant. For more dishes from the same country, see Vietnam.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people does this serve?

The recipe makes 12 sticks, which serves 4 to 6 people as a snack or appetizer. It is not portioned as a main course.

Why steam before grilling?

In Andrea Nguyen's method, a short steam sets the paste on the cane. The grill then gives it sizzle and browned patches.

Can I use bamboo skewers or lemongrass instead of sugarcane?

This recipe is written only for sugarcane sticks cut from canned sugarcane, and it doesn't give an alternative. The sweetness of the cane is also part of how the dish is eaten.

Do I eat the sugarcane?

The cane serves as the skewer. After the shrimp paste comes off, you can enjoy the cane for its sweet juice, as Andrea Nguyen describes.

How do I make the nước chấm?

The shrimp recipe calls for 3/4 US cup of prepared Nuoc Cham and doesn't give a sauce formula. Andrea Nguyen has a separate Nước Chấm recipe on Viet World Kitchen, listed in the sources below.

Do the steaming and grilling times guarantee the shrimp is safely cooked?

No. The 3–4 minutes of steaming and 6–8 minutes of grilling are the recipe's cooking guidance, along with its visual cues. They are not a measured internal temperature or a food-safety guarantee.

Sources