Food/Filipino Cuisine/Culture
Filipinos Love Lumpia No Matter What’s The Filling
It’s savory, spicy, sweet and never bland
Almost everyone calls it spring roll or egg roll.
Spring roll is a dish served for the Chinese new year banquet which signals the beginning of the spring season. A way of welcoming the arrival of spring
In the Philippines, it is called lumpia if the filling is meat and/or vegetables. It is called Turon if the inside is something sweet like the banana.
Lumpia is introduced to the Philippines by the Hokkien and Fujian immigrants as early as 900 A.D. Lumpia is derived from the Hokkien word LUN meaning moist, wet and soft and PIA meaning cake or pastry.
Filipino lumpia is not usually wet, moist and soft but rather crunchy and fried. Unless it is dip in a sauce, then it became wet and moist.
Through the years, different kinds of fillings have evolved to give it a twist
Yeah, a different filling equates to a different feeling
The different kinds of lumpia
- Lumpiang Shanghai
This is the Chinese spring roll’s version. Why the name Lumpiang Shanghai? No one knows why, aside from that it was introduced by the Chinese settlers. My unsolicited guess is Shanghai sounds good. It doesn’t sound good if it is called Lumpiang Beijing or Lumpiang Guilin😀.
The filling is ground pork or beef, sautéed with garlic, onion, tomato, and carrots.
There’s a difference in the taste of the two versions. I remember the TV show Wok With Yan with Martin Yan where he sprinkled his magic powder in everything he cooked. Maybe that’s what makes the difference in the taste.
In the size as well. Chinese spring roll is usually short while lumpiang shanghai varies, as it depends on who makes it.
International food database Taste Atlas had named lumpiang shanghai as the best Filipino food in 2021. Culinary professionals and diners from around the world gave it a 4.9/5 rating.
Lumpiang Togue
The filling is togue, that’s bean sprouts sauteed with garlic, onion, tomato, and diced pork or tofu. Best eaten by dipping in a sauce made of vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, and chili flakes.
Considered a street food because it is very affordable.
Lumpiang Dynamite
The long green chili is stuffed with fillings of your choice. Diced meat or chunk tuna will do. But the best and simplest one is a slice of cheese.
Why dynamite? Because it’s a chili, it’s like dynamite exploding in the mouth. And if the seeds are not removed, literally, you will explode😁. And be like — this girl is on fire.
Try this one, it’s the best.
This time I’ll l be sweeter
Turon
Turon is the dessert version of lumpia. It is derived from the Spanish sweets turron.
Wrapped in the lumpia wrapper is the banana named Saba. The riper the saba is, the better. Plain sugar is its perfect company both inside and outside the wrapper before it is fried. Jackfruit can be added to enhance the flavor. Lately, purple yam or ube jam and peanut-chocolate mixture are added too.
If you don’t like fried foods, lumpia has something to offer as an alternative.
Lumpiang Sariwa or Fresh Lumpia
The wrapper that is being used is the egg roll wrapper and the filling is mostly heart of palm, meat and other vegetables. It’s secret is in the sauce and the crushed peanut put on top.
The advantage is it has no cooking oil dripping out. The disadvantage is, since it is fresh, it can easily get spoiled.
If you don’t like the egg roll wrapper or the lumpia wrapper or any wrapper, lumpia has still something for you.
Lumpiang Hubad or Naked Lumpia
It is basically Lumpiang Sariwa without the wrapper. Nothing more, nothing less. There is a theory that this came about because the chef run out of the wrapper.
Practically, you can wrap anything and still can be called lumpia.
Why? Because when you dip it in it’s sauce, whether it is chili sauce, vinegar and soy sauce, or catsup, you’ll never know what’s inside. Just like me, when I dip it, I-soak-it, and all I can taste is the sauce.
With the fact that you can’t name a country without a Filipino, in one way or another and in one time or another, you were likely to have attended a Filipino gathering. For sure Lumpia was there, it is always perfect in attendance.
