Spring roll

Spring rolls are fried pastries that can be found in several Asian countries, most notably China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Regional

East and Northern China

In Chinese cuisine, egg rolls differ from the spring roll. There are sweet spring rolls with red bean paste inside from areas in Eastern China, such as Zhejiang 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. They can generally be divided into fried and non-fried varieties.

Fried vs. Non-fried

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

Non-fried spring rolls are typically bigger and more savory. In contrast, non-fried spring rolls typically wrap the wrapping with pre-cooked ingredients. The most commonly eaten style of non-fried Taiwanese spring rolls is called ''runbing'' in . Traditionally, non-fried spring rolls are a festive food eaten during the and the in spring to remember and pay respect to . The Hakka population sometimes also eat spring rolls on the 3rd of March in the lunar calendar every year. 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 or superfine sugar is added along with the peanut power before all the ingredients are wrapped.

Hong Kong

Spring roll is usually available as a dim sum dish.

Vietnam

''Ch? giò'' is a traditional Vietnamese food, literally means ''minced pork roll''. The most common English translation is ''spring roll'', although this is just a fancy name as the food has nothing to do with spring. Ingredients include ground pork and shrimp mixed with chopped shiitake mushrooms, shredded carrots, and special seasoning, wrapped in moistened rice paper, then fried to a crispy golden color. Egg white is used as a paste to seal the rice wrapper into a roll form. Cha gio can be consumed alone or wrapped with lettuce and dipped in fish sauce. It can also be served with rice noodles garnished with green herbs, which comprise the dish bún ch? giò.

In some restaurants, ''g?i cu?n'', a Vietnamese salad roll, is also translated as ''spring roll'', while some others prefer the term "summer roll." Ingredients include slivers of boiled pork, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli, all wrapped in moistened rice paper, served cold with dipping sauce n??c ch?m. The salad roll is easily distinguished from a ''minced pork roll'' by the fact that it is not fried, the ingredients used are different.

At some restaurants, ch? giò is incorrectly translated in English as "Egg rolls", and sometimes "Imperial rolls". ''Egg rolls'' are significantly different from ''ch? giò'', as the wrapper is a wheat flour sheet instead of moistened rice paper. However, many Vietnamese restaurants in America have adopted the wheat flour sheet to make their ch? giò, since it makes the rolls harder to break when fried, and the rolls stay crispy for longer period of time.

Australia

In Australia, where there is a tradition of westernising dishes, the Australian counterpart is known as the Chiko Roll. See .

Philippines and Indonesia

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

Europe

In the Netherlands and Belgium, spring rolls are known as ''Loempia.'' They are thought to have been introduced by immigrants from Indonesia. Loempia's are filled with Taugeh, bean sprouts, chopped omelette, and sliced ham.

Mexico

In Mexican fried spring rolls are similar to Chimichangas, while non-fried spring rolls are similar to burritos.

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica spring rolls are called in spanish ''"Tacos Chinos"'' , offered in almost all the chinese restaurants as an entree or appetizer.