Egg Rolls

Appears in

Published 1977

About

What are known as “egg rolls” in this country are called “spring rolls” in China. Since the first day of the Chinese new year is also the first day of spring according to the Chinese lunar calendar, these and other traditional pastries such as the New Year Dumplings were always served to the callers who came by on that day. They are also, however, popular year-round snacks for the Chinese and a standard appetizer for American patrons of Chinese restaurants here.

There are two kinds of commercially made egg-roll wrappers available in Chinese grocery stores—the Cantonese kind, which are smooth, resembling thin noodle dough, and the Shanghai kind, which are transparent, resembling rice paper. After deep-frying, the first are crisp and dry, the latter brittle and hard, since they absorb more oil. The Cantonese wrappers are 7-inch squares and are sold by the pound, each pound containing 14 wrappers. The Shanghai wrappers are circles and are sold in packages of 12. Both types keep well for about a week in the refrigerator and months in the freezer.