A crispy, golden fried roll of Chinese origin filled with vegetables, glass noodles, and sometimes pork or shrimp, wrapped in a thin wheat or rice flour wrapper and deep-fried; distinct from the egg roll, with a thinner, crisper wrapper that shatters rather than chews.
Wrapper distinction
Spring rolls use a very thin wrapper — paper-thin wheat or rice flour sheets that become extraordinarily crispy and light when deep-fried, producing a skin that shatters with the first bite. This distinguishes them from the egg roll, whose thicker wrapper fries to a bubbly, more doughy texture. Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) use rice paper and are not fried — they are a separate preparation with a completely different character.
The filling
Traditional Chinese spring roll filling is restrained and textural: finely shredded cabbage and carrots, glass noodles, and sometimes minced pork or shrimp, seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. The filling must be dry — excess moisture causes the wrapper to become soggy and the roll to burst during frying. Well-made filling is stir-fried first and allowed to cool completely before wrapping.
Frying technique
Spring rolls are deep-fried at medium-high heat (175–180°C) until evenly golden. Frying at too-high heat browns the outside before the filling heats through; too-low heat produces greasy rolls. They should be drained on paper and served immediately — the wrapper softens within minutes.
New Year traditions
In China, spring rolls (chūnjuǎn) are eaten at Lunar New Year celebrations — their cylindrical golden shape resembles gold bars, symbolising wealth and prosperity for the coming year. The name refers to the spring season when fresh vegetables traditionally became available after winter.
Find more foods by letter
Spring Roll starts with S and ends with L. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Spring Roll":