Spring roll

Spring roll
Chinese	春卷
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin chūn juǎn Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping ceon1 gyun2

Spring rolls are a large variety of filled, rolled appetizers similar to the Chinese chūn juǎn (春卷 'spring roll') found in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably within this large area.

Regional

Eastern and northern China

In Chinese cuisine, egg rolls are sweet spring rolls with red bean paste inside from areas such as Zhejiang in eastern China, and northern China. Spring rolls are usually eaten during the Spring Festival in China, hence the name.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, spring rolls also come in a number of varieties, such as:

Fried vs. non-fried

Fried spring rolls are generally smaller and crisper. They can be sweet or savory; the latter are typically prepared with vegetables. This version is fully wrapped before being pan-fried or deep-fried.

Non-fried spring rolls are typically bigger and more savory. In contrast, non-fried spring rolls typically fill the wrapping with pre-cooked ingredients. The most commonly eaten style of non-fried Taiwanese spring rolls is called rùn bǐng (润饼) in Mandarin (or po̍h-piáⁿ (薄餅) in Taiwanese, see popiah). Traditionally, non-fried spring rolls are a festive food eaten during the Cold Food Day festival and the Tomb Sweeping Day festival in spring to remember and pay respect to ancestors. The Hakka population sometimes also eat spring rolls on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar (三月三 sān yuè sān). The wrappings can be a flour based mix or batter.

Northern vs. southern Taiwan

In northern Taiwan, the ingredients are generally flavored with herbs, stir-fried and sometimes topped with a finely ground peanut powder before being wrapped. The northern-Taiwanese style spring roll is usually lightly topped with or accompanied by a soy sauce.

In southern Taiwan, the ingredients are generally boiled or blanched in plain water. Sometimes caster or superfine sugar is added along with the peanut powder before all the ingredients are wrapped.

Hong Kong

Spring roll is usually available as a dim sum dish.

Thailand

In Thailand, there are many types(three, apparently) of spring roll style dishes.

Fresh type,"Guay-tiew lui suan"(ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลุยสวน). Guay-tiew lui suan contains various fresh vegetables and juicy cooked meat wrapped in steamed ([long-uncutting]) noodle sheets(pen pang แผ่นแป้ง) then, topped with sweet, sour and spicy green dressing.

Fresh type,"Por-pia sod"(ปอเปี๊ยะสด). The appearance of Por-pia sod is similar to Guay-tiew lui suan with some differences in ingredients(sai ใส้) and pen pang. The dressing of Por-pia sod is sweet-tasting with high viscosity and a mailard color style.

Fried type,"Por-pia tod"(ปอเปี๊ยะทอด). Generally, Por-pia tod is smaller than the above two types with strong taste [sai]. Pen pang & Sai are modified to be suitable for frying. The dressing of Por-pia sod is high viscosity, transparent, heterogenous sweet and sour taste (nam jim buay น้ำจิ้มบ๊วย).

Vietnam

• See Chả giò

In Vietnam spring rolls, sometimes called summer rolls, is a vietnamese delicacy known as gỏi cuốn. Depending on region, spring rolls were made differently. Spring rolls refer to the freshness of the spring season with all the fresh ingredients, therefore frying takes away that feeling. Due to the lack of resources some families were only able to make vegetarian spring rolls rather than meat spring rolls. However, the typical ingredients include slivers of boiled pork, shrimp, rarely chicken or tofu, fresh herbs, lettuce, cucumbers, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli, all wrapped in moistened rice paper, served at room temperature with fermented soybean sauce (tương xào), hoisin sauce, or fish sauce. Hoisin peanut sauce, soybean sauce (tương xào), and fish sauce nước mắm pha (nước chấm) are all common sauces when eating spring rolls. To create a hoisin dipping sauce, we need grated ginger, water, hoisin sauce, peanut butter and sugar. To make a fish sauce, add fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, small red and green peppers and water. Mince the garlic and peppers. Add the sugar into a bowl of hot water to help dissolve it quickly. Add fish sauce, lime, and the minced garlic and peppers into the sugar water. Spring rolls can be made at home, but it can also be found at some Grocery Retail stores in the U.S., such as Trader Joe's.

The fried version with minced pork is called chả giò (southern Vietnam), nem, or Nem rán (northern Vietnam); it has been mistakenly referred to as an egg roll or spring roll on some restaurant menus. Central Vietnam has its own version of a "fried roll" called "Ram." "Ram" is always made from whole shell-on shrimp or chopped deshelved shrimps and some green onion, wrapped in rice paper and deep fried. "Ram", like most food items from central Vietnam, are not widely available in Vietnamese restaurant overseas. The collective Vietnamese "egg rolls" are different from the Chinese egg roll in that it is typically smaller and contains ground or chopped protein such as pork, crab, shrimp (but rarely) chicken, taro, glass noodle, wood-ear mushrooms and shredded carrots. It would be more correctly referred to as a "Vietnamese fried Roll". It is sometimes called eggrolls even though no eggs are used in the making. Rice papers are always used as the wrappers in Vietnam. Vietnamese restaurants in western countries tend to use the Chinese eggroll wrappers due to the inavailability of rice papers initially. However, some restaurants have slowly reverted back to using rice papers now that they are widely available.

Australia

In Australia, a diverse range of authentic Asian cuisine is available due to immigration, multiculturalism, and the abundant fresh local produce. Both Dim Sims and chiko rolls were inspired by spring rolls.

Australians also have their own version of spring roll, that can be found in many fish and chip shops in Australia. Rather than using pastry with a rolling technique they have a more doughy texture.

Philippines and Indonesia

Lumpia is the name for spring rolls in the Philippines and Indonesia.

South Korea

In South Korea, a spring roll is known as chungwon (춘권). They are not as popular as other fried foods, but are occasionally found at bars, street stalls, or as a banchan (side dish) at restaurants.

Europe

In the Netherlands and Belgium, spring rolls are known as loempia, and are deep-fried or sometimes baked. They are thought to have been introduced by immigrants from Indonesia. Loempias are filled with bean sprouts, chopped omelette, and sliced ham. ln Sweden, they are known as vårrullar, while in Poland, they are known as Sajgonki, named after Saigon, the city from which many of the Vietnamese immigrants in Poland originated.

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, spring rolls are called in Spanish Tacos Chinos (Chinese Tacos), offered in almost all the Chinese restaurants as an entree or appetizer.

Chile

In Chile, spring rolls are called Arrollado Primavera, and supermarkets, street vendors and Chinese restaurants sell them.

Mexico

In Mexico, spring rolls are called Rollos Primavera, and are sold in many Chinese restaurants and fast food establishment. In the northwest border with the US, specially in Mexicali, Baja California, the spring rolls are known as chunkun, this name could be related to the Korean chungwon (춘권), they are deep-fried and they are usually served with ketchup topped with a dot of hot mustard as dipping sauce.

Uruguay and Argentina

In Uruguay and Argentina, spring rolls are called Arrollados Primavera, and supermarkets and Chinese restaurants sell them. They are common treat carried by catering services and usually served with a small bowl of hot soy sauce to dip them in.

Brazil

In Brazil, spring rolls are called either rolinhos-primavera (IPA: [ʁoˈlĩɲus pɾimɐˈvɛɾɐ]), which is an approximate free translation from English, or as it is called in Japanese restaurants and among people which are used to the plate by the way it came to Brazil from Japanese immigrants, "spring roll" (春巻き, harumaki) (IPA: [haɽu͍maki]). They can be found mostly on Chinese restaurants, usually served with a molho agridoce (sweet and sour sauce) to dip, usually bright red and hot, made with ketchup, vinegar, sugar and sometimes spices as star anise, which accompanies some other kinds of dishes, and can include onion and sweet pepper. Some Japanese restaurants also serve spring rolls in Brazil, but generally plain or with soy sauce to dip (molho agridoce is uncommon but also available in some). They are also found on buffet-like fast food restaurants, and can be called either by the Japanese or Brazilian Portuguese name, but most often the latter.

See also

• Chả giò
• Egg roll           
• Lumpia
• Pastel

• Popiah
• Sambousa
• Summer roll