Every East Asian country has its version of the fried spring roll, but none are as easy to recognize as lumpia, the version that hails from the Philippines. Lumpia is typically made from a combo of
pork, vegetables, and aromatics, wrapped in a paper-thin shell, and deep-fried until shatteringly crisp. For our ultimate version, we went with a blend of shrimp and ground pork spiked with garlic, ginger, and scallions. Make enough to go alongside a bowl of pancit and freeze the rest, or fry them all and make enough to feed a crowd. Don’t forget your favorite brand of sweet chili sauce for dipping!
The one thing you need to make the best lumpia is the right wrapper. Finding the right wrapper is a must for spring rolls, and simply swapping in an egg roll wrapper will not give you the smooth and crisp outer layer you’re looking for. The easiest way to tell if the package you picked up is best for egg rolls or spring rolls is to look at the ingredients. Both will contain flour, water, and oil, but egg roll wrappers will also contain vinegar, which causes the wrapper to puff and bubble up when it’s fried. They may also contain extra wheat gluten to help achieve the chewy texture of egg rolls once you get past the crunch. For proper spring rolls, the exterior should be smooth and uniform without bubbles, so you’ll need wrappers with flour, water, and oil. Wei-Chuan is the brand we used in testing, but Menlo or Spring Home are great options as well.
Did you try making these? Let us know how it went in the comments!