Cantonese Spring Rolls
Crisp, Savory, Golden-Brown Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are a traditional Chinese snack. They are particularly popular in southern regions of the country. To make them, wheat flour is formed into a paste-like consistency, and it is then pressed into a thin wrapper. Deep-fried ingredients are used for the filling. The filling in Cantonese spring rolls can be meat or vegetable, sweet or savory. Common varieties include hotbed chives and shredded meat spring rolls, three-delicacies spring rolls, and sweet bean paste spring rolls. Spring rolls are typically eaten with Worcestershire sauce. The acidity of the sauce interacts with the oil of the spring roll to add a little kick.
Ingredients
- 6 spring roll wrappers
- 0.88 ounce (25 grams) barbecued pork
- 1/2 cup (25 grams) hotbed chives
- 0.88 ounce (25 grams) jicama
- 0.88 ounce (25 grams) carrot
Seasonings
- 2/3 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 2/3 teaspoon (3 grams) chicken bouillon
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon oyster sauce
- corn starch as desired/needed
- oil as desired/needed
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Mince barbecued pork. Peel jimaca and carrot separately. Wash. Shred carrot. Chop jimaca into small cubes. Wash hotbed chives. Cut into small sections.
How to make the filling
- Heat pan. Add some cooking oil. Add barbecued pork, jimaca, carrots, and hotbed chives. Fry evenly. Add salt, chicken bouillon, sugar, and oyster sauce. Stir-fry to bring out flavor. Add cornstarch and allow to thicken. Scoop out and let cool. This is the filling.
- Note: When frying the filling, it should be dense and thick. This is the only way it can be used for filling after having cooled. Otherwise it will easily break apart.
How to assemble spring rolls
- Place an appropriate amount of filling in the bottom 1/3 portion of a spring roll wrap. Fold wrap up. Then, fold both ends of the spring roll toward the center. Roll the roll to make it longer. Use a bit of water to seal the openings shut. This is the spring roll that will be cooked.
- Note: Don't wrap the filling too tightly, or it may crack open when deep-frying.
Put it all together
- Add ample cooking oil to pan. Bring to a high temperature over medium heat. Add uncooked spring rolls and fry until exterior is golden brown. Scoop out and strain away excess oil. Serve.
Spring rolls – A Traditional Chinese New Year's Dish
Spring rolls, also known as spring pancakes or flat pancakes, are a traditional holiday food of the Chinese Han Ethnic Group. Popular all over China, they are especially beloved in the southern Jiangnan region. Aside from being prepared for one's own family, spring rolls are also frequently served to guests. At Spring Festival and Beginning of Spring, families get together to dine on spring tea and spring pancakes to usher in the New Year.
In Hong Kong and Guangdong, Cantonese style spring rolls are commonly served in dim sum teahouses. They are usually around four inches long and one inch in diameter. Deep-frying gives their wheat flour wrapper a crispy, golden-brown quality. The fillings used in Cantonese spring rolls are ample, including shredded dried shiitake mushrooms, shredded pork, fermented bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots, vermicelli, and wood ear mushrooms. The largest single serving of the dish typically comes out to three rolls. Sometimes, a roll is cut in half with scissors before being consumed with Worcestershire sauce.
There is another spring roll variant which can be found amongst the small food stalls of Hong Kong. This type of spring roll has a diameter of two inches or even more, and its wrapper is crispier than that of a traditional spring roll. More filling is used, and it is a popular street food in the area.