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Spring rolls are named for the Lunar New Year spring festival where they were originally eaten, and the golden, crispy cylinders after frying were said to resemble small gold bars — bringing prosperity through visual metaphor. The wrapper is a thin wheat sheet (not the thick egg roll wrapper used in Chinese-American restaurants), fried until translucent and shatteringly crispy, enclosing a filling of glass noodles, cabbage, carrot, and either pork or mushroom. The filling must be dry before wrapping — wet filling creates steam inside the roll during frying, which makes the wrapper soggy and causes it to burst. Cantonese fresh spring rolls (popiah) are the unfried version: rice paper or thin wheat sheets rolled around cooked filling, usually eaten cold or at room temperature in humid southern Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking.
In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the ground pork and shrimp, and cook until they are no longer pink.
Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and let the filling cool.
Lay a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface with one corner pointing towards you.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling near the corner closest to you.
Fold the corner over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly, sealing the edge with a little water.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
In a deep pan or wok, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the spring rolls over medium-high heat.
Fry the spring rolls in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
Remove the spring rolls from the oil and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and chili flakes (if using).
Serve the spring rolls hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
Thin-wrapped fried cylinders of vegetable/meat filling; Lunar New Year tradition; golden color represents wealth.
China; southern Chinese origin; spread throughout Southeast Asia as a format; distinct from thick-wrapped American 'egg rolls'.
Thin wheat wrappers, glass noodles, cabbage, carrot, pork or mushroom, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger; sealed with flour-water paste.
Remove as much moisture as possible from the filling before wrapping — squeeze cooked vegetables dry; a wet filling is the main cause of burst spring rolls during frying.
Sweet chili sauce or black vinegar for dipping; as part of a dim sum spread or as a starter; jasmine tea.