Notes on Store-Bought Dumpling Wrappers and Springroll Skins

Fresh noodle skins for wrapping dumplings and springrolls are widely and increasingly available in the refrigerator or freezer cases of most large Chinese groceries. When I can, I prefer to buy them directly at the noodle factory, where I know they are freshest. Otherwise, I look for a store with daily deliveries from the factory, or one with a steady turnover of merchandise. The point is, like all noodlestuffs, the fresher the dumpling or springroll wrapper the better it is. A fresh wrapper will feel supple, be easy to use, and taste best. An old wrapper will often be dry and will crack when shaped, and if the resulting dumpling or springroll wrapper doesn’t fall apart when you shape it, it will often fall apart when cooked—in short, frustration and a mess.