Food Sci. Technol. Res.

, 6 (2), 102-l05, 2000

Note

SomeCharacteristics of Rice Paper of Vietnamese Traditional Food (Vietnamese Spring

Rolls)

Hiroko NAGAN0,1 Zenya SHOJI,2 Asako TAMURA,3 Miyuki KAT0,4 Masashi OMORI,5 Kim Anh T0,6 Thi Thu DANG6
and
Van Nhuong LE6

IFaculty ofEducation, Gfu University, Gfu 50]-]]93, Japan

2Faculty of Education and Human Studies, Akita University Akita O1 0-8502, Japan
3Yonezawa Women 's College ofYonezawa Prefacture, Yamagata 992-0025, Japan
4Faculty ofEducation, Kagawa University', Kagawa 760-8522, Japan
5Faculty ofHome Economics, Otuma Women 's University, Tokyo I 02-8357, Japan
6lnstitute ofBiological and Food Technology~ Hanoi University ofTechnology, Vletnam

Received September 29, 1999; Accepted March 24, 2000

Rice papers made of non-glutinous rice are a common food item in Vietnam and Thailand. Called as Banh Da
Nem in Vietnam, rice papers are used very often in the making of a traditional dish called Nem, i.e., Vietnamese spring
rolls. The amino acid content in the rice papers extracted with water was found to be 2 to 3 fold higher than that in
cooked rice, showing that the protein was resolved by microbial enzymes during the rice paper processing. Among
organic acids, Iactic acid is most common in rice papers, indicating that lactic bacteria is involved in the nranufactur-
ing. Many Gram-positive bacteria: Streptococcus constellatus, Streptococcus acldominimus, Staphylococcus capitis, Lac-
tobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Gram-negative bacteria: Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella sp.,
Pseudomonas sp., along with wild type yeast were isolated from the milled-rice.

Keywords: traditional food, rice paper, rice protein, microorganisms

Each region of Asia has its own unique food culture. In South-
east Asia, each country has its own traditional ways of using rice.
In Japan, for example, rice is a staple food and it is in most cases
consumed as polished and cooked rice in granular forrn. In other
countries in the Asian region, rice is used in different forms
including rice noodles such as Khanon Jeen in Thailand (Daeng-
subha et al., 1989; Uchimura et al., 1991), Banh da, Banh pho
and Bun in Vietnam. Rice papers (Banh da) Iike spring roll
papers produced from wheat fiour, are made from non-glutinous
rice and commonly used in making Nem (Fig.1-C). Rice paper
production is a cottage industry, styles of which vary from region
to region. That observed in Hanoi involves soaking rice in water
and grinding it in a mortar by hand or using a machine to make a
milled-rice (butter-like mixture), which is followed by a second
soaking overnight. The milled-rice is then spread thinly, Iike a
crepe, onto a cloth mould, and steamed and dried to obtain rice
papers (Fig. I -A). In the case of the Banh pho, which is produced
from the same milled-rice, the mixture (the milled-rice) is spread
more thickly and is cut into slides after being steamed. This arti-
cle presents relatively new food materials made from rice, for the
purpose of exploring the possibility of utilizing rice stored from a
previous year's harvest and imported rice.
Materials and Methods
Food samples Vaiiious traditional feamented rice foods
and their unheated milled-rice were collected during the period
E-mail: nagano@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
between 1 993- 1 995 including a sarnple obtained in 1 993 (in Ho
Chi Minh city), five samples collected in 1995 (in Hanoi) and
one obtained in 1995 (in Laos). Thai rice papers were purchased
commercially in Japan in 1993. Several available rice varieties
were also obtained for comparison in Japan (Sasanishiki and
Hatsushimo), in addition to Vietnamese and Thai rice.
Analysis of rice components The moisture, crude protein,
and ash of the samples were detennined by American Associa-
tion of Cereal Chemists methods 46- 1 2, 44- 15A, and 08-01 , re-
spectively (AACC, 1983). The total amylose content was mea-
sured using the iodine staining technique (Juliano, 197 1). The
amount of reducing sugar was measured by the modificated
method (Fukui, 1 990) of Somogyi and Nelson. The total free
amino acid concentration was measured using the ninhydrin
method (Rosen, 1957).
Analysis of organic acids Each portion (1 g) each was
extracted with distilled water (about 45 ml) at 60'C for 30 min.
The extract was filled up to 50 ml with distilled water, passed
through a membrane filter with a pore size of 0.45 um (MILLI-
PORE Co., Ltd.) and then a pre-treatment cartridge (SEP-PAK-
C1 8, Waters Co., Ltd.). The analysis of organic acids was carried
out on a high-performance liquid chromatograph (Model L-
6200. Hitachi Ltd.).
Measurement of amino acid content A Iiquid fraction of
each sample ( I O g) was extracted using a blender (Nihon Seiki
Kaisha Ltd.). The supernatant obtained by centrifugation was
treated with 0.3 M TCA (trichloroacetic acid) and was centri-
fuged for I O min at 13,000 Xg (4'C). The supernatant was then
1 04 H. NAGANO et al.

the sarnples is shown in Table 3. Analysis of cooked Thailand,
Chinese, California or Japanese ('Sasanishiki' and 'Hatsushi-
mo') rice showed alrnost the same result. For all five varieties of
cooked rice, the glutamic acid and proline portions were very
high, constituting about 500/0 of total free amino acids in each
sample. The other amino acids in rice were less than these in rice
papers. Thai cooked rice was used as the control. As shown in
Table 3, the glutamic acid content of rice papers was twice to
four times higher than that found in the control. On the contrary,
a lower proline portion was detected in rice papers than in
cooked rice, whereas glycine or leucine was discovered in a high
concentration, the amount varying depending on the samples.
This can be explained by the presence of certain species of
microorganisms and their function in rice paper production
resulting in a difference in the decomposition of the protein in
a sample.
Miclloo/~anisms isolated flvm rice pape/~s The presence
of microorganisms was observed in all samples here, and we
found that they varied considerably in their shape (yeast and bac-
terium-like microorganisms). To classify the microorganisms in
advance, we plated the samples on six selective media as
described in the 'Materials and Methods' section. The microor-
ganisms in the six samples grew on nutrient, DHL, TATAC and
potato dextrose agar plate (Table 4). We found no microorgan-
Table 3. Ammo acld composltron') of nce papers and borled nce
Rice paper
Vietnam Thalland
Asx 69.2 (0.8) (-)
Thr 1 7 1 .5 ( I .9) 409.8 (2, I )
isms from the sample (95LAO007) collected in Laos growing on
LBS agar culture, the selective medium for Lactobacillus sp. As
all others, the number of bacteria growing on LBS agar was from
1/10 to llIOO of total bacteria found on the six selective media.
Furthermore, only the rice papers collected in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam contained the microorganisms growing on the PEES
agar plate that was believed Staphylococ'cus sp.
The bacteria isolated from sample (93VTN008) obtained in
Ho Chi Minh City were further identified: From this sample, the
Gram positive bacteria, Streptoc'oc'cus c'onstellatus. St,-eptococ'-
cus acidiminiums, Stahy/10coc'c'us c'apitis, Lactobaci!lus cu/~'atus,
and Lactobacillus salivar'ius, and the Gram-negative ones includ-
ing Enterobac'tel' cloacae, Klebsiela sp. and Pseudomonas capi-
tis were identified. In some previous reports 1lke the following, it
was found that the same genus was isolated from most traditional
fermented foods: Gram-positive bacteria: L. cul~'atus from sour-
dough (Okada et a/., 1992); St/-eptcoccus lactis, S. thermophylus,
Pedioc'occus acidilac'tici, L. ac'idilactic'i, L. planta/'um, L. reute/'
(Uchimura et a/., 199 1), Bacillus subtilis, B. c'ereus var Lactoba-
cillus p!antarum, L. c'asei, Stl-eptococ'cus al"ium, L. Iactis (Daeng-
subha et a/., 1 989) from noodles in Thailand (Khanon Jeen);
Staphylococcus aureus. L.,fol7nentum from the traditional Nigeri-
an food (Fu fu) (Adegoke & Babalola, 1988) and St/-eptcoccus
faecails. L. brevis from the Ethiopian food (Tef-injera) (Berhanu,
1985). The Gram-negative Enterobac'te/~ c'loacae and Klebsiela
sp. had also been isolated from fermented wheat flour (Nagano et
al., 1987, 1988, 1994), tef fiour (Berhanu, 1985), and sorghum
fiour foodstuffs (Moharnmed et al., 1 99 1), and Klebsiela sp.
Rice
from Nigerian food (Okafor et al., 1 984; Adegoke & Babalola,
Thalland
1988). Now, the same bacteria have been isolated from rice
3 1 .9 ( I ,3)
papers, a traditional fermented rice food material. This seems to
l 07.2 (4,3~ )

Ser 193.4 (2.1) 243.8 ( I ,2) 86.2 (3,.5) show evidence of the universal presence of these microorganisms
Glu 1294.7 (14.2) 2040.2 ( I 0.4) ~58-5.6 (23,-5) in fermented foods of grain origin. Furthermore, the presence of
P ro _552.6 (6.0) 640. l (.3,2) 925.6 (3- 7.2) Streptococ'cus sp. and Lactobacillus sp. in a milled-rice frorn
Gly 1849.7 (20.2) 858.8 (4.4) 229.7 (9.2) which rice papers are produced seems to strengthen the argument
Ala l083 .4 (1 l.9) 2979.5 ( 1 5.2) 224.5 (9.0)
for the lactic acid as mentioned above.
Cys 634.4 (6.9) l _537.9 (7.9)
Rice papers are commonly considered as a food having less
Val 3-79.6 (4.2) 1 363.6 (7,0) 77.3 (3, I )

15_5.2 (1.7) (0,7) chance to be affected by microorganisms. Traditionally, they are

Mct _56 1 .O (2,9) I 7.9

Ilu 162.6 (1.8) 708._3 (.3,6) 42.0 ( I .7) made from milled-rice soaked in water for one or two days. The
Leu 703_ . I (7.7) 30 1 6.9 ( 1 5 ,4) 55.l (2,2) reason for this manner of production in warm regions needs to be
Tyr 87.0 (1.0) 347.9 ( I .8) _58.0 (2.3)
clarified further. The microorganism structure existing during
Phe 54 1 .8 (_5.9) 2894. l ( 1 4,8) 33.0 (1.3_)
rice paper manufacturing and their behavior during the process-
Lys ll7.0 (1.3) l 46.2 (O,7) 64.3 (2.6)
ing remain unknown. It is necessary to determine what microor-
His ll04.7 (12.1) l 520.6 (7,8) 14S.7 (6.0)
A rg 34.8 (0.4) 285.7 ( I ,_5) 27.9 (1.1) ganisms universally exist and what change in the components of
")mg/1 OOg(o/c). -: not detected. rice occurs during the production of rice papers.

Table 4. Microorganisms isolated from traditional fermented rice foods.

Country Vietnam Laos

Medium Sample 93 VTN 95VTN
No. 008 OO 1 002 o0_3 009 OIO 007
Nutrient o c o o o o o
DHL o o o o o o o
PEES c
LBS c c O o o O
TATAC c c o o o o o
Potato dextrose o o o o o o o
-: not detected.
Nutrient, DHL. PEES, LBS, TATAC and potato dextrose agar are selective medium (Mitsuoka, l 980).
The Characteristics of Rice Paper (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)
Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Miss Miyoshi Horie and
Miss Yuka Kanbara of Gifu University for their support and help.
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