Knowledge Builders

why do people call egg rolls spring rolls

by Idella Blanda Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
image

The exact origins of springs rolls and egg rolls are a bit unclear, though both have their roots in Chinese cuisine. While the jury is still out on the specifics, many food experts believe that spring rolls came first, and that they were adapted to become what was later on deemed the egg roll.Dec 9, 2019

What is the difference between egg roll wrappers and spring rolls?

This paper-thin wrapper crisps up as it bakes, but it’s not as dense or chewy as egg roll wrappers. Spring rolls usually feature minimal ingredients, and they often don’t contain meat, so they’re also thinner and lighter than egg rolls.

What is the origin of spring roll?

While some might call lumpia, Filipino egg rolls, they’re actually spring rolls because of the very thin, smooth wrapper and origin. Lumpia was a direct influence from Chinese travelers in the Philippines during the 9th century.

What is the origin of egg rolls?

There are several egg roll origin stories floating around, but most of them agree that egg rolls were likely created at Chinese-American restaurants to appeal to American diners. Unlike spring rolls, egg rolls are made with thick, doughy wrappers made with wheat flour and eggs.

Are spring rolls and summer rolls the same thing?

Unlike spring rolls and egg rolls, summer rolls are served cold (perfect for the summer months) and have a translucent wrapper. These rolls go by many names: Vietnamese spring rolls, summer rolls, fresh spring rolls, or salad rolls.

image

Why do they call egg rolls spring rolls?

Egg rolls are a modern culinary invention and were originally influenced by Chinese spring rolls. It's been said that egg rolls are a 20th century Americanized version of spring rolls and are now a staple in many Chinese American restaurants.

Are egg rolls and spring rolls the same thing?

Unlike spring rolls, egg rolls are made with thick, doughy wrappers made with wheat flour and eggs. They blister up and become pocketed with delightful, oil-filled bubbles when deep-fried, making them simultaneously crunchy and chewy.

Are egg rolls called spring rolls?

Egg rolls are still technically spring rolls (perhaps the first spring roll you ever tasted), but the wrapper dough is made with wheat and eggs, producing a thicker, fatter roll. A more traditional (and tastier) version would also have bamboo shoots, minced shrimp, and water chestnuts.

What do Chinese call egg rolls?

蛋卷Egg rolls are a variety of deep-fried appetizers served in American Chinese restaurants....Egg rollChinese蛋卷Literal meaning"egg roll"3 more rows

What's healthier spring roll vs egg roll?

They're both delicious but if there has to be a definitive answer, spring rolls are the healthier option. This is because spring rolls use thinner wrappers and are filled with vegetables, whereas egg roll wrappers include eggs and typically include meat in the filling, specifically pork.

Can you use spring rolls for egg rolls?

While spring roll wrappers are thin and crispy, egg roll wrappers are a lot thicker, way crispier, and contain egg. As a general rule, you should not substitute spring roll wrappers for egg roll wrappers, as they will no longer be spring rolls.

What is another name for egg rolls?

egg roll; spring roll.

Are egg rolls actually Chinese?

Foodtimeline.org says, “egg rolls (and their lighter counterpart, spring rolls) date back to ancient China. It is quite likely that egg-roll type foods were made and consumed in the USA by the first Chinese settlers in the mid 1800's.” Okay, now we are getting somewhere.

Do spring rolls have eggs?

Even still, it's become a definitive staple of American Chinese cuisine. The spring roll, however, has a much more complex and longstanding history in Asia. Spring roll dough contains no egg, making it lighter and crispier than the egg roll when fried.

Are spring rolls actually Chinese?

Spring rolls, also named 'spring pancakes' (春饼) or 'thin pancakes' (薄饼), are a traditional Chinese Chinese New Year food. They are popular around the world, but especially in regions south of the Yangtze River.

What are Vietnamese eggrolls called?

Cha gioCha gio is the fried egg roll from Vietnam. It is made with ground meat (usually pork), mushrooms, noodles, and diced vegetables (usually carrots or jicama) all wrapped in rice paper.

Why are egg rolls called egg rolls if they have no eggs?

Featured in a Chinese-American cookbook from 1917, the recipe calls for chicken, ham, sprouts, and mushrooms to be wrapped in a thin egg omelette. So, literally, an egg roll.

What's the difference between spring rolls and summer rolls?

Although the terms get conflated, the difference between spring rolls, summer rolls, and egg rolls is more than just semantics. Spring rolls are wrapped in a dough made of flour and water and then fried, while summer rolls are wrapped in a translucent rice-wrapper and served cold.

What is the Easter egg roll?

The Egg Roll is a race where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon. Surrounding events include appearances by White House personalities in Easter Bunny costumes, speeches and book-reading by cabinet secretaries, and exhibits of artistically decorated eggs.

What does an egg roll consist of?

Today, egg rolls usually contain a mixture of meats and diced vegetables in a flaky, crispy fried shell. Common ingredients include pork, chicken, shrimp, shredded cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. Curiously, what they don't contain is eggs.

Do spring rolls have eggs?

Even still, it's become a definitive staple of American Chinese cuisine. The spring roll, however, has a much more complex and longstanding history in Asia. Spring roll dough contains no egg, making it lighter and crispier than the egg roll when fried.

The basic idea is similar but these two iconic foods are definitely not the same. Here are the differences when it comes to spring rolls vs. egg rolls

The basic idea is similar but these two iconic foods are definitely not the same. Here are the differences when it comes to spring rolls vs. egg rolls.

What Is a Spring Roll?

Spring rolls originated in China but there are several regional variations, each with its own specific characteristics. The original spring rolls were likely thin pancakes rolled around spring vegetables, but the dish morphed over time to become a thin disc of dough rolled around a filling made with vegetables and sometimes meat.

What Is an Egg Roll?

Although you’ll find egg rolls at almost every Chinese restaurant in the U.S., they’re not from China. There are several egg roll origin stories floating around, but most of them agree that egg rolls were likely created at Chinese-American restaurants to appeal to American diners.

Popular Videos

After years of working in professional kitchens, Lindsay traded her knives in for the pen. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to turn local, seasonal ingredients into beautiful meals for her family.

Are spring rolls fried?

Like egg rolls, you can also fry spring rolls. One of the most popular deep-fried spring rolls are the ones you can find at dim sum, these are filled with ground pork, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and served with a dipping sauce.

Spring rolls vs summer rolls

Another version of spring rolls is summer rolls (also called Vietnamese spring rolls). These rolls typically have a wrapper made of rice flour. The wrappers come dried and need to be dipped into warm water for a couple of seconds.

Ingredients in typical spring rolls

Depending on the recipe and variation, deep-fried and fresh spring rolls can have a mixture of meat and vegetable fillings:

Why are egg rolls called egg rolls?

Many people assume egg rolls (most specifically egg roll wrappers) include egg, which is why it’s named so, but it often does not contain any egg whatsoever.

Do egg rolls have eggs in them?

These days, egg rolls rarely are made with eggs either in the wrappers or as a filling. Instead, the thicker wrappers are typically made of wheat flour, salt, and water. When you deep-fry these wrappers, they will have a bubbly exterior. You can typically find these packed fresh in the refrigerated aisle at your local Asian grocery store.

Ingredients in typical egg rolls

Similar to spring rolls, egg rolls also have various (almost endless) types of fillings depending on where you order them:

Lumpia vs egg rolls

If you’ve ever been to a Filipino party, you know it’s not complete without a side, appetizer, or second helping of lumpia. While some might call lumpia, Filipino egg rolls, they’re actually spring rolls because of the very thin, smooth wrapper and origin.

What Is a Spring Roll?

The origin of spring rolls can be linked back to China. Originally made for Chinese New Year banquets, spring rolls were stacked to look like bars of gold. Spring rolls got their name because the New Year marks the start of spring in the lunar calendar.

What Is a Summer Roll?

Unlike spring rolls and egg rolls, summer rolls are served cold (perfect for the summer months) and have a translucent wrapper. These rolls go by many names: Vietnamese spring rolls, summer rolls, fresh spring rolls, or salad rolls.

The Bottom Line

Although the terms get conflated, the difference between spring rolls, summer rolls, and egg rolls is more than just semantics. Spring rolls are wrapped in a dough made of flour and water and then fried, while summer rolls are wrapped in a translucent rice-wrapper and served cold.

image

What Are Egg Rolls?

  • It's common to find egg rolls served in many American-Asian restaurants and fast-food establishments. The beloved egg roll consists of a thick wheat-based wrapper filled with various ingredients such as diced carrots, onions, celery, bean sprouts, and other savory veggies. Egg rolls can also be filled with meat, especially ground pork. These rolls are then deep-fried until gol…
See more on therecipe.com

Why Are They called Egg Rolls?

  • For many, egg rolls are a staple feature in many menus of Asian-American (particularly Asian-Chinese) restaurants and fast-food counters. For decades, their delicious nature was rarely questioned, even its name! However, the origins of their name may stem from the dough ingredients which is made with eggs. With the addition of egg, the dough wrapper for egg rolls ar…
See more on therecipe.com

Are Egg Rolls The Same as Spring Rolls?

  • Understandably, many people use the term egg roll interchangeably with spring rolls. It's understandable because the two handheld treats are consumed as a snack, side dish, or appetizer. However, despite their similarities, these two foods are distinct, though some people may consider this topic a 21st-century food debate! Regardless of their diffe...
See more on therecipe.com

The Origins of Egg Rolls

  • Egg rolls have a murky history, but one thing's for certain: this fried appetizer has origin ties to spring rolls, which originated in Asia, specifically in China. Southern Chinese cuisine—particularly Cantonese fare—may have been a source of inspiration to the modern-day egg roll due to its features. Furthermore, some believe that the egg roll was invented in 1938 by Henry Low, who i…
See more on therecipe.com

1.Egg Rolls: Why Are They Called Egg Rolls? - Greatist

Url:https://greatist.com/eat/why-are-egg-rolls-called-egg-rolls

30 hours ago  · If you’re like, literally in the mood for an egg roll, these come stuffed with a mixture of cheesy scrambled egg, bacon, and potato hash. Think breakfast burrito but skinnier, …

2.Spring Roll vs. Egg Roll: What’s the Difference? - Taste …

Url:https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/spring-roll-vs-egg-roll/

12 hours ago  · Dough ingredients: Water and flour (wheat flour or rice flour) are the two ingredients for spring roll wrapper dough. Egg roll wrapper dough requires water, wheat flour, …

3.Spring Rolls vs. Egg Rolls: 3 Essential Differences

Url:https://www.masterclass.com/articles/spring-rolls-vs-egg-rolls

16 hours ago  · Why Do Some People Call Spring Rolls Egg Rolls? It remains unclear exactly when both Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls began, although some food experts point to one or …

4.Why do Vietnamese people call their egg rolls spring …

Url:https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Vietnamese-people-call-their-egg-rolls-spring-rolls-and-Chinese-people-call-them-egg-rolls

28 hours ago There’s two hypotheses; the first is that, originally, the wrapper that goes around the egg roll called for eggs in the dough, like a lot of dough recipes do, and so it became known as the …

5.Spring Rolls vs. Egg Rolls: What's The Difference?

Url:https://www.hungryhuy.com/spring-roll-vs-egg-roll/

8 hours ago I'm Canadian and I don't recognize the definitions you used here. Spring rolls can use a thin wheat or rice wrapper. Egg rolls use a thicker wrapper dipped in egg, hence the name. That …

6.Spring Rolls, Summer Rolls, and Egg Rolls: What's the …

Url:https://www.allrecipes.com/article/spring-rolls-vs-summer-rolls/

25 hours ago

7.Why are egg rolls called egg rolls? - Quora

Url:https://www.quora.com/Why-are-egg-rolls-called-egg-rolls

23 hours ago

8.Why do the terms "egg roll" and "spring rolls" mean …

Url:https://www.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/qt9dq8/why_do_the_terms_egg_roll_and_spring_rolls_mean/

6 hours ago

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9