THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607230444
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By BETTY DOUGLASS, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR
LENGTH: 100 lines
THROUGHOUT ASIA, street vendors sell packets of diced meats and vegetables in pancake-like wrappers. Egg rolls, spring rolls and lumpia are served up in China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Americans, too, are enamored of the egg roll and its cousins. We buy them in grocery stores, restaurants, at festivals and fairs. We serve them at cocktail parties and munch them after school or while watching TV.
Though the ``rolls,'' collectively speaking, are time-consuming to make, they aren't difficult. Simply cook the filling, roll in a wrapper and fry.
Once you know the basics, you can make and freeze rolls by the dozens, altering the filling ingredients to your taste.
Chinese spring rolls are made with spring-roll wrappers - doughy squares that feel almost like slightly cooked pasta. Sometimes called ``skins'' or ``shells,'' spring-roll wrappers are available in supermarkets and Asian groceries. You can find them fresh or frozen with about 20 wrappers in a package.
American-style egg rolls are usually made with the more crepelike lumpia wrappers and are sometimes dipped in batter before frying.
Lumpia is the wrapper used to make the Filipino treat of the same name. It is often served fried as in the recipe from Bing Dameg, owner of Mercy's Oriental Foods in Norfolk.
Lumpia is traditionally rolled into cigar shapes. Dameg says it's important to roll the lumpia very tightly into long, slender rolls. At Mercy's, Dameg freezes lumpia right after they are rolled and then fries them while they are still frozen. After frying, the rolls may be cut into halves or thirds and served with sweet-and-sour or duck sauce.
Lumpia is also served without frying. For this version a leaf of lettuce is placed on the wrapper before a cooked filling is added. The lumpia is then wrapped and served with a garlic-soy sauce.
Vietnamese and Thai cooks generally use rice papers for serving fried or fresh rolls. Rice papers are translucent, brittle pieces made with rice flour, water and salt. The mixture is steamed, then dried on woven bamboo mats, which add a distinctive crosshatch pattern. When fried, rice papers are crisper than noodle wrappers.
Patrick Galiardi, chef at Sage's American Bistro, uses wrappers to enhance regional specialties. His Blue Crab Spring Rolls combine crabmeat with vegetables and herbs in a package that is delicately fried in hot oil. Sage's spring rolls are served with a Sweet and Sour Poblano Vinaigrette. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
CANDICE C. CUSIC/The Virginian-Pilot
Graphics
ASIAN MARKETS
Here's a list of some of the Asian markets in Hampton Roads.
Asia Grocery, 5444 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach.
456-2271.
Han Lee Oriental Foods, 311 Kellam Road, Virginia Beach.
499-2173.
Ichiban Japanese Food Store, 867 S. Lynnhaven Road, Virginia
Beach. 427-6800.
Lacerna's Oriental Food Mart, 5030 E. Princess Anne Road, Norfolk
858-4027.
Maymar International Food Mart, 5347 Lila Lane, Virginia Beach.
420-9788.
Mercy's Oriental Foods, 7824 Gifford St., Norfolk. 588-7087.
Oriental Food Store Tidewater, 4885 N. Witchduck Road, Virginia
Beach. 497-7424.
WRAPPERS
Wonton or egg-roll wrappers are made with egg-noodle dough. These
thin, square wrappers are available fresh in the produce departments
of many supermarkets.
Lumpia wrappers are very delicate, thin, crepe-like rounds made
with cornstarch and flour. Stuffed with a variety of fillings they
may be eaten as is or deep-fried.
Spring roll wrappers are very thin squares of Chinese noodle
dough. They are sold frozen in Asian markets.
Rice papers are available at Asian markets in triangular, round
and square shapes from 6 to 13 inches wide. These thin wrappers are
slightly more difficult to use than the other wrappers.
Note: Rice papers are very fragile. Examine them carefully before
buying and don't purchase them if there are cracks or breaks.
To store rice papers, wrap and place in an airtight container. If
they are exposed to moisture, it will be absorbed and the edges will
curl, making them unusable.
Before rolling, dip 2 or 3 papers, one at a time, in a large bowl
of warm water for 2 to 3 seconds. Or, brush with a moistened pastry
brush or spray the papers with water. After dampening, let the
wrappers rest until just pliable.
Use the wrappers as they become pliable and alternate between
moistening and wrapping. If allowed to sit in water, the rice papers
will disintegrate.
Some cooks add 1/3 cup of sugar to the softening water when the
rice paper will be fried to give the rolls a crisper texture and a
golden color.
Sources: ``Cooking A to Z'' edited by Jane Horn, California
Culinary Academy (The Cole Group, 1992) and ``Southeast Asia
Cookbook'' by Ruth Law (Donald I. Fine, Inc. 1990). by CNB