What Are Rice Paper Wrappers? Which One To Buy?

What are rice paper wrappers?

If you have ever tried a summer or salad roll at a Vietnamese restaurant, you have had a rice paper wrapper.

These wrappers are incredibly thin and traditionally made from rice, water, and salt. Nowadays, tapioca starch is often added to make it thinner, and easier to soften and roll.

They can be filled with almost anything and are almost transparent, allowing you to see the filling inside. Plus, they have a pleasant chewy texture.

Rice paper wrappers are most commonly filled with shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables, and noodles, but you can also use them to wrap other unconventional ingredients as well which makes this quite versatile.

Companies may use different names for it, though. If you come across one of these from the below list, rest assured they are talking about the same thing.

• rice papers
• rice wrappers
• rice wafers
• rice paper wrappers
• bánh tráng (Vietnamese name)

Can you make them at home?

Traditionally, they are made of rice, water, and salt. Here is how they make rice paper by hand the authentic way, but this other video shows a more industrialized approach.

You can also try making them at home in a less-than-traditional way. Here is an easy-to-follow homemade rice paper recipe using rice flour, potato starch, salt, and water.

You can make one in a microwave in a nick of time if you are up for it.

Where can you buy them?

If you’re looking for rice paper wrappers, you may be able to find them at your local grocery or health food store’s International food aisle.

However, the best selection is typically found at Vietnamese or Chinese food markets. 

Alternatively, you can also consider looking online to find the wrappers you need.

Here are the seven most common brands you can find. They use a mix of rice and tapioca starch. Try to avoid products with 100% tapioca as they are super thin and really hard to work with! If you are a beginner, cheese 100% rice-based wrappers.

• Cathay
• Three Ladies
• Tanisa Brown Rice Paper
• Blue Dragon (I use this usually)
• CAF (100% rice flour)
• Best of Thailand
• Bamboo Tree

How to choose the best rice paper for you?

If this is the first time you try it, choose a rice paper made of 100% rice flour as it is easier to work with them and harder to tear them during rolling.

• Try to avoid products with 100% tapioca as they are super thin and really hard to work with! Instead, opt for wrappers made with rice or a combination of rice and tapioca.
• If you take a look at the packaging, you should see transparent, thin, round papers. If what you see is yellow, opaque, and square-shaped, then those are not rice papers but Chinese wheat flour spring roll wrappers. Don’t be surprised if you get confused, there are 9 rice paper alternatives.
• If you are unsure which size of wrapper to choose, I recommended to go with the 8 ½-inch wrappers, as they tend to be the easiest to work with.
• When selecting a brand of rice paper wrappers, look for the Three Ladies brand or one with a red rose on the label. I love these brands.
• If there are multiple options available, it’s suggested to choose the most expensive option. Keep in mind that rice paper wrappers are generally affordable, so spending an extra 50 cents for a higher quality option is a reasonable investment.

How to store them

Unopened: Unopened packages can be stored in your pantry. No need to put them in the fridge.

Opened: If you open a package but don’t use all of it, transfer the rest to an airtight container or large Ziploc bag. In high-humidity areas, it can stick together if stored in open air.

Handling note: Always dry your hands before taking a rice paper from the package. Wet hands will activate them and they will stick together.