Explore 7 delicious types of spring rolls, from crispy Chinese Chun Juan and fresh Vietnamese summer rolls to flavorful Filipino Lumpia. Learn about their unique wrappers, tasty fillings, cooking methods and dipping sauces. Try them at home with these homemade recipes.
Chinese spring rolls (Chun Juan)
They are deep-fried or pan-fried mini wraps that come filled with a variety of ingredients like meat, seafood, and vegetables.
The classic Chinese spring roll filling is shredded marinated pork, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and napa cabbage. It is then wrapped in a square-shaped, wheat-based quite delicate wrap which is called a “spring roll wrapper” or “spring roll pasty”.
However, vegetarian spring rolls are also quite common and equally delicious.
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Fried Vietnamese spring rolls (Cha Gio)
Similarily to the Chinese version, they are also deep-fried or pan-fried.
The classic cha gio filling is mung bean noodles, ground pork, shrimp, dried wood ear mushrooms, jicama, or taro.
However, they are wrapped in rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng) and served with a dipping sauce called (nuoc cham), which is a fish sauce-based sweet and tangy sauce.
However, there are equally delicious vegan and vegetarian alternatives like this crispy rice paper rolls recipe filled with shredded mushroom marinated in hoisin sauce.
Vietnamese summer rolls (Goi Cuon)
They are also called “fresh spring rolls” because they are also wrapped in rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng), but they are not fried.
Summer rolls are served uncooked and cold with a spicy hoisin-peanut sauce. The typical filling is mung bean or rice vermicelli noodles, pre-cooked shrimp or pork, mushrooms, fresh veggies like carrots, leafy greens or lettuce, bean sprouts, fresh herbs like Thai basil, cilantro, and mint.
The below Vietnamese summer rolls are veggies only but absolutely delicious.
Korean seaweed spring rolls (Gimmari)
“Kimari” or “gimmari” is deep-fried or pan-fried Korean spring rolls which are wrapped in seaweed aka nori sheets and dipped in tempura before frying.
The classic gimmari filling is seasoned glass noodles and shredded veggies like carrots or green onion. They are commonly served with “tteokbokki”, which is chewy, rod-shaped rice cakes in spicy sauce.
Filipino spring rolls (Lumpia)
Lumpia is popular street food and appetizer in the Philipinnes. It is a thin cigar-shaped roll that is cut in half and deep-fried until it is crispy.
The classic lumpia filling is seasoned ground meat or seafood with minced onion and shredded carrots.
While it is heavily meat-based, you can find many delicious vegetarian lumpia recipes.
Japanese spring rolls (Harumaki)
Harumaki is also a deep-fried spring roll wrapped in thin spring roll wrappers.
The classic Japanese spring roll filling is ground meat, glass noodles like vermicelli or mung bean noodles, dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, and green onion. They are served with a sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce.
It is easy to make vegan since you can just skip the meat part and all the other delicious ingredients will make up for it.
Thai spring rolls (Poh Pia Tod)
Spring rolls in Thailand are also wrapped in classic spring roll wrappers.
The classic Poh Pia Tod filling is ground pork, shrimp, cabbage, carrot, scallions, bean sprouts, and cellophane noodles. They are also deep-fried until brown and crispy.
Here is a delicious vegetarian Thai spring rolls recipe.
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