Spring Rolls A New Year's Treat

Like us the Chinese have tasty New Year's food to celebrate the birth of a new year. One beloved one is our popular spring roll. This crunchier cousin of the egg roll is not only a good party food but also makes a quick and filling lunch or dinner. They're also less filling and just right for those starting their diets.

Spring rolls began in China and Taiwan during their New Year however the Vietnamese and Laotians also eat them. The rolls are different from the egg roll in the sense that they have a crisper, lighter wrap filled not so much with shredded cabbage ,shrimp or pork but with spices and different lettuces. They are fried with the gold color symbolizing wealth and prosperity for r the upcoming year. Some do have meat in them, but most are strictly vegetarian. In Vietnam , spring rolls do have a little meat added but also herbs, chives and some minced fresh garlic. The Northern Taiwanese add a different spin to their s with a layer of peanut powder added right before wrapping, The Southern Taiwanese add caster sugar and the powder for a sweeter
variety.

Are spring rolls easy to make? Well you can buy them in your frozen food section already wrapped and waitingto be fried or boiled. You can make them from scratch as well . They're really easy to make. Perhaps the only headache is finding rice wrappers which some stores do not carry. However any Oriental grocery store in your area probably will have them in stock, along with the necessary spices. Other wise it's just making what you like and then boiling or frying them. Malking the outer layer spring rolls is no different than creating a wrap sandwich. There's the same same kind of folding involved. Spring rolls also make great hors d'oeuvres even in the summer because they're very light.These can be filled with fresh picked herbs along with tomatoes, Romaine lettuce shreds and fresh picked string beans.

Spring rolls are a great way to ring in any New Year. They're also a fun appetizer or meal to create for these drab winter days. Try some for luck and prosperity!