LUMPIA 

What is lumpia 

Lumpia translates to "moist pastry". Lumpia is a very casual food and is intended for mindless munching, much like chips and salsa. Lumpia is often shared among a group of guests to bring a group together. Lumpia is traditionally sold and served by the dozen, making large amounts of lumpia extremely accessible and convenient which is why it is a great food to share with​​ family and friends. 

Lumpia costs around $9 for a dozen rolls. Although the sweet chili sauce is the most popular, an order of lumpia also comes with dipping sauces, like sweet vinegar, or banana creme, often with no additional cost. Filipino restaurants are rather rare, so when you find a great spot, make sure to remember it! 

The history of lumpia and how it came to the Philippines

As Chinese merchants and immigrants began to make their way to the Philippines starting in the 7th century, they brought the idea of a spring roll with them. Over the next few centuries, the recipe for Chinese spring rolls began to adjust to accommodate native Filipino ingredients and flavor preferences. Closer to the 7th century, the concept of lumpia was not yet fully developed and lumpia existed as a spring roll filled with cabbage and bean sprouts. Around the 16th century, the concept of a crispy, deep-fried, soft-wrapped roll stuffed with various meats and vegetables was developed and was commonly known as lumpia. Closer to the 21st century, many more creative forms of lumpia were developed, such as dessert lumpia. Dessert lumpia is filled with banana creme and topped with chocolate sauce. As of 2024, Lumpia differs from any other cultural roll or wrap, like chinese egg rolls or thai spring rolls. 

Different types of lumpia 

There are many different variations of lumpia fillings due to varying flavor preferences and ingredient availability. The most popular variation of lumpia is lumpia Shanghai, which is filled with ground pork and vegetables. There is also lumpia ubod, which is hearts of palm, shrimp, and tofu. Lumpia togue is filled with bean sprouts and shrimp, and occasionally cabbage. Lumpia labong is stuffed with various meats and vegetables, but it is unique because the filling is primarily Bamboo shoots. All variations of lumpia are wrapped using the same method and deep fried to reach a crispy, golden brown exterior. 

How to make lumpia Shanghai 

Lumpia Shanghai filling is made by combining ground pork, onion, Chinese celery, carrot, garlic, egg, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. To prepare, mince your onion, carrot, garlic and celery. Next add ground pork, egg, soy sauce, and seasoning to a bowl with the minced vegetables and stir till the ingredients are evenly distributed. 

Now that the easy part is done it's time to fill and roll the lumpia wrappers. Arrange your lumpia wrapper so that the corner of the sheet is facing you and appears to form a diamond rather than a square. Place the filling about an inch away from the bottom corner of the wrapper in a rectangle shape about ¼ of an inch thick. The width of the rectangle should be about a pinkie finger width from touching the edges of the wrapper. Next, drape the bottom corner of the sheet over the lumpia filling. Now fold in the left and right corners of the wrapper so that they cover the lumpia filling. Now roll the lumpia straight, but leave about an inch of paper before you finish the roll. spread about 1 teaspoon of an egg wash that consists of 1 beaten egg over the unrolled triangle of lumpia wrapper that remains unrolled. This will allow the lumpia to stay rolled and not come undone. Now complete the roll. 

Lumpia can be cooked in the air fryer or it can be deep fried. It is easier to cook the lumpia in the air fryer, but this will result in a less moist filling and the wrapping will be far less puffed and crispy. Deep frying is the traditional method. To do so place about an inch or an inch and a half of oil in a pot and heat over medium heat. Once the oil has reached about 350 degrees, place the rolls in the pot. The rolls will begin the sizzle and bubble. As they begin to reach a golden brown color, consistently rotate them so they cook evenly. Once they have reached a perfectly golden brown color all around the roll, place the rolls on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Let them sit for around 5 minutes then serve.  

Yes, lumpia is great, even on its own, but it's even better when it's paired with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The sauce is made by combining water, cornstarch, vinegar, sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. To make the sauce, combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. This is what will make the sauce thick. Next, in a separate pot combine water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once thoroughly combined add the water and cornstarch mixture until the lumpia sauce is at a thick and desired consistency. Let the lumpia sauce completely cool down then serve. To preserve the sauce, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two months.