Chinese New Year Egg Rolls
Gung Hay Fat Choy!! Welcome to the Year of the Monkey! I was so lucky to be asked by Cost Plus World Market to create a series of videos and design a fun and festive tablescape for the Lunar New Year. Please take a look at my videos for Potstickers, Long Life Noodles with Chicken and the Mandarin Mule – a gingery and bubbly Lunar New Year co*cktail.
Besides Potstickers, Long Life Noodles and delicious co*cktails, another great thing to make is Chinese New Year Egg Rolls. Chinese New Year Egg Rolls or Spring Rolls symbolize good fortune because their rectangular shape is similar to that of gold bars. Who doesn’t want to ring in the New Year with some good fortune? This is an easy and fun recipe to make with kids as they can help fill and roll up the egg rolls. I like to get my five spice powder at the gourmet section of World Market.
These Chinese New Year Egg Rolls are made with classic Cantonese Egg Roll skins which are bit thicker and chewier than Spring Rolls skins. If you prefer Spring Rolls, then purchase spring roll skins (available at Asian markets) instead. You’ll need to separate the skins beforehand and then just roll as directed.
We start with a delicious filling made with chicken breast, sh*take mushrooms, beansprouts, scallions and seasoned with five spice powder. Feel free to substitute with or add shrimp to this recipe (I just throw in some chopped cooked shrimp right before I get ready to roll)
Start with placing about 1/2 cup of the filling slightly below the center of the eggroll wrapper.
Now roll up the skin around the filling tightly but not too tight for the skin to tear or break. This is a key step in rolling up eggrolls or else they can fall apart
Next, you want to fold the flaps in like an envelope securely and neatly on both sides. You’ll want to use a pastry brush now to moisten the edges on the remaining top flap with the egg wash just as you would an envelope but please resist the urge to lick it:)
Our beauties are ready for frying. Make sure you have everything ready before you start frying as it goes quickly. Have a cookie sheet lined with paper towel and your tongs ready to to. You can find out if the oil is hot enough by placing a small piece of eggroll wrapper in the oil. If it floats to the top immediately, it’s ready! Don’t place too many eggrolls in the oil at once or the temperature will reduce and you’ll have soggy eggrolls on your hands.
FAQs
Egg rolls (also called fried spring rolls) are a favorite all year round but they're considered an auspicious food during the new year because they resemble gold bars and thus symbolize wealth and prosperity!
What is the slang egg roll? ›
Street name, slang, or code word for 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). MDMA is commonly referred to as ecstasy. Note: Innumerable substances–legal or illicit or combinations thereof–are used to facilitate illegal activities.
Which is healthier, spring roll or egg roll? ›
Generally, spring rolls are healthier. In Vietnam and Thailand, spring rolls are packed with raw vegetables and fresh herbs. The rolls are also made with a thinner wrapper than egg rolls and often served fresh, rather than fried.
Why do they call egg rolls egg rolls? ›
Ever wonder… why these classic Chinese-American treats are called egg rolls? One possible explanation is that the dough traditionally used to make the wrapper calls for eggs. Even though recipes now often omit the egg, it's possible that the name stuck.
What is the tradition of eggs in Chinese New Year? ›
Similar to Western Easter eggs, in Chinese culture eggs symbolize birth or a new start; thus, it is of paramount importance for eggs to be served to guests during an important birthday (such as the first month or first year). The color red symbolizes prosperity and good fortune to the Chinese.
Are egg rolls Chinese or Japanese? ›
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.
What are egg roll wrappers called? ›
An egg roll is a fried, savory roll filled with shredded cabbage, ground or roast pork or shrimp and other ingredients inside a wonton wrapper or thick, wheat flour wrapper. Egg rolls are thought to have been invented in New York City's Chinatown restaurants in the 1930s.
Are egg roll wrappers and spring roll wrappers the same thing? ›
Spring rolls are wrapped in thin flour wrappers or rice wrappers, while egg rolls are wrapped in a thicker, noticeably crispier wrapper that's been dipped in egg for richness. Preparation. Egg rolls are fried, which accounts for their bubbly, crispy exteriors.
What are egg rolls called in England? ›
I know what Americans call an egg roll as served in Chinese restaurants and carry-outs is a spring roll or pancake roll here. In Scotland an egg roll would be a fried egg in a Morton's morning roll. In England it might be a fried egg in a barmcake/bap/bread roll according to location.
Why are there no eggs in egg rolls? ›
Contrary to popular belief, the egg isn't necessary to make an egg roll, even though it does have it in its name. The traditional egg roll recipe uses egg in the dough, but most recipes don't call for it anymore; modern egg rolls are usually made up of mixed meat and vegetables wrapped in a rice paper wrapper.
A typical "New York–style" egg roll measures approximately two inches in diameter by six inches in length, with a thick, chewy, crispy, bumpy exterior skin. Egg rolls, like other Americanized Chinese food specialties, may contain vegetable cultivars and flavor profiles that are not common in China, including broccoli.
What does egg rolling symbolize? ›
As Christianity would have it, the rolling of an egg is symbolic of the stone rolling back from Christ's tomb, allowing him out to prank his disciples. Or, if you prefer, it is the hard shell of the egg that represents the tomb: cracking it represents letting him out.
What do eggs symbolize in Chinese culture? ›
Full house: As in many cultures, eggs symbolize fertility, and are eaten both to encourage pregnancy and to celebrate the birth of a baby. If you want many children, seek out pomegranate or snacks made with seeds.
What is the significance of spring rolls on Chinese New Year? ›
Spring rolls (chun juan) take their name from the holiday for which they're traditionally prepared: the Spring Festival (chunjie), also known as Chinese New Year. The crisp golden rolls are meant to symbolize bars of gold and bring wealth and prosperity in the year to come.
What is the tradition of egg rolling? ›
After the forty-day Lenten season concludes and Eastertide begins, eggs may be consumed again, giving rise to various traditions such as egg rolling, which also symbolizes the angel rolling away the stone at the entrance of the tomb.
