The egg roll is a Chinese-American icon: a thick, blistered wrapper packed with cabbage and pork, deep-fried until it crackles. It is not subtle and it is not trying to be. June 10 celebrates the crispy, golden appetizer that anchors a thousand takeout orders.
An American invention
Despite the name, the egg roll as Americans know it is largely a Chinese-American creation, developed in the United States in the early-to-mid 1900s. It grew out of Chinese spring rolls but became bigger, thicker-skinned, and heartier to suit American appetites. The wrapper is chewier and more bubbly than a delicate spring roll, and the filling is generous.
It has been a takeout menu fixture ever since: the crunchy thing you tear into first, before the entrees even arrive.
Egg roll versus spring roll
The two get confused constantly. Spring rolls use thin, smooth wrappers and are lighter and crisper; some versions are not fried at all. Egg rolls use thicker wheat wrappers that fry up bubbly and substantial. Both are delicious, but they are genuinely different animals. If you want the shatteringly crunchy, deep-golden roll from the American takeout menu, you want an egg roll.
The classic filling is shredded cabbage and carrot with pork, seasoned with soy, ginger, and garlic, though shrimp and vegetarian versions are common.
Frying them right
Home frying is very doable with a little care. Cook and cool your filling first, because a wet or hot filling makes soggy rolls and a mess. Roll tightly, sealing the edge with a dab of beaten egg or a cornstarch slurry so they do not burst.
Fry in oil around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, a few at a time, turning until deep golden all over. Drain on a rack, not paper, so the bottoms stay crisp. Let them rest a minute before biting, because the inside is molten.
Celebrate it today
If frying feels like a lot, this is a great night to order takeout and start with the egg rolls while they are hottest. Dip in sweet chili sauce, hot mustard, or duck sauce, whatever your family always fought over.
If you do fry at home, make it social. Set up a rolling station and let everyone wrap their own. They freeze well raw, so make a big batch and fry them straight from frozen another night. Either way, eat them hot; a room-temperature egg roll is a sad thing, and you owe it better.
How to celebrate
- 1Cool the filling first
A hot or wet filling steams the wrapper and makes soggy, bursting rolls. Cook your cabbage-and-pork mixture, then let it cool and drain off any liquid before you start wrapping. This one step fixes most home egg-roll problems.
- 2Seal the edges well
Roll tightly and seal the final edge with a dab of beaten egg or a cornstarch-and-water slurry so the rolls do not burst open in the oil. Wrap them snugly, like a little burrito, tucking in the sides as you go.
- 3Fry at the right temperature
Keep the oil around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and fry only a few rolls at a time so the temperature does not crash. Turn them until deep golden all over, then drain on a wire rack rather than paper towels to keep the bottoms crisp.
- 4Set up a rolling party
Egg rolls are more fun made with a crowd. Lay out wrappers, filling, and a bowl of sealing slurry, and let everyone wrap their own. They freeze well raw, so make a big batch and fry them straight from frozen on a busy night.
- 5Order takeout and start with these
Not frying tonight? Order Chinese takeout and dig into the egg rolls first, while they are hottest and crispiest. Dip in sweet chili sauce, hot mustard, or duck sauce, and eat them before the entrees arrive.