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| Lumpiang Shanghai in the Philippines. |
LUMPIANG SHANGHAI is not a Pilipino invention.
SHANGHAI STYLE SPRING ROLL indeed exists in Shanghai for a long time.
We call it here in the Philippines "lumpiang Shanghai" and some wrote it hastily as a Philippine invention just because they could not find this delectable crisp fried spring roll in Shanghai during one or two or few restaurant visits in that one corner of Shanghai.
Judy left for the US when she was just 16. She grew up in Shanghai and recalled they have this spring roll only during Chinese New Year, which could mean the spring roll could only be made once a year or rarely done on other days. In her article, she wrote in part:
"Before immigrating to the US when I was sixteen, this was the only spring roll recipe I knew. It’s not to say that other versions didn’t exist, it’s just that I didn’t come face to face with them."...I grew up in Shanghai and remember clearly that these little babies only appeared during Chinese New Year celebrations. And they’re really good.
"...These spring rolls bring me back to Shanghai and some of the better memories of my childhood."
This explains why lumpiang shanghai is thought never existed in Shanghai if you go there at the wrong time of the year. It was a mistake when it was claimed by a newspaper food writer that Pilipino invented it. After all, the big truth is IT IS INDEED IN SHANGHAI. Thus, not a Pilipino original dish. I can't believe it too, but it is.
Looking at her photos in her blog, Judy appears to be in her early 40's. The fried roll was already in Shanghai when she was a very young girl. We cannot argue the fact that her elders were already making this spring roll a long time ago. It has pork, cut into tiny pieces, not ground (both mincing and grinding are of the same effect on the meat).
The thinly sliced cabbage and mushroom used by Judy are all additives to this dish, just like what we are doing to our lumpiang Shanghai, we also added an assortment of additive ingredients, such as that you can mix and match any or some of the following (or even all of these at one setting): carrots, parsley or kinchay, celery, green or spring onions, singkamas, patatas (potato) or kamote (sweet potato), togue (bean sprouts), fresh or pickled cucumber, green peas, raisins, minced hotdogs, eggs, tufo or tokwa, bell pepper, garlic, cheese, and believe it or not, some of us Pinoys would also add tenga ng daga or any other kabute (mushroom) in lumpiang Shanghai. These additive ingredients are not necessarily indispensable ingredients or something that must always be present in the ingredients. They can be excluded or substituted, but not the pork and the lumpia wrapper (thin flour crepe) as these are the main and indispensable ingredients of the lumpia.
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Judy's rendition of Shanghai-style fried spring roll.
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Basically, the process and likely the taste of Judy's fried spring roll are the same and it looks exactly the same to our lumpiang Shanghai here in the Philippines. Also eaten with vinegar, just like we do here in the Philippines. Though our version of lumpiang Shanghai now is of many variations depending on what other ingredients are added to minced or ground pork.
The origin of Philippine lumpiang Shanghai is indeed from Shanghai.
What's your take?
The website, The Works of Life, wrote a brief description of Judy Sarah as follows:
JUDY
Courtesy of Works Of Life website Judy is the mom of The Woks of Life family. Born in Shanghai, she arrived in the U.S. at age 16. Fluent in both English and three separate Chinese dialects, she's our professional menu translator when we're eating our way through China. Dedicated to preserving disappearing recipes and traditions, her specialty is all things traditional, from mooncakes to home-style stir-fries.
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