Society

Spring roll picnic

By Peng Yining (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-05 07:39

Xiamen

Spring roll is also called baobing in Fujian province. [China Daily]

Xiamen spring rolls are the ultimate fast food. A thin wheat pancake wraps up a delicious cooked filling made from mainly vegetables, and on Qingming, the Tomb Sweeping Day when most families will not start the fire on the stove, it is the perfect dish.

Just like the spring rolls in other provinces or even other Asian countries like Vietnam or Singapore, the Xiamen spring rolls are large and juicy. The wrapper, the baobing (thin pancake), is used to wrap a filling made from mainly vegetables that has been cooked before being used.

Unlike fried spring rolls, which are generally smaller and crispier, Xiamen spring rolls are not fried, but bigger, and always savory. Apart from the vegetables used, which include radishes and cabbages, in the coastal cities of Fujian, seafood like oysters, prawns and fish are used as well.

The rolls are traditionally eaten on Qingming, where families visit the tombs of their ancestors. It is a festival which is also known as Cold Food Day, since most families will not be cooking that day.

After cleaning the graves and paying their respects, families would return home and wrap the prepared filling with the pancakes and make a meal of it. This tradition began in China from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and is still observed faithfully in Xiamen to this day.

Sometimes, slivers of fried egg, dried seaweed and chilli sauce are added to spice up the spring rolls. There is a careful ritual, too, to the wrapping of the pancake.

The pancake is laid out on the table or a plate with a leafy lettuce laid on top. A spoonful of vegetable stew is ladled on top of the leaf, and slivers of thinly sliced egg, cooked prawns or even preserved sausages are added. Then the sides of the pancake are brought together, like an envelope, and the roll is tightly wrapped up.

The first bite is always juicy, and the novice may actually make a mess of it, but that's part of the fun of eating a tender and delicious Xiamen spring roll.