Fresh spring roll (Popiah)

Popiah is a traditional roll, wrapped and filled with a variety of ingredients. Often compared to the more famous spring rolls, the main difference is that popiah is never deep-fried. The crepe-like wrappers for popiah are delicate and light, but easily foldable to hold all the ingredients together.

The fillings are extremely versatile, but usually have four essential components: the main fillings, garnishes, spices, and sauces. The main fillings vary from meat and seafood to vegetables, while thinly sliced condiments most commonly include cucumbers, Chinese sausages, or eggs.

Popiah is usually assembled according to preference, but most often a thin layer of spicy or sweet sauce is put on the wrapper, followed by a salad leaf that helps in holding all the ingredients together. When wrapped, and before it is served, popiah is cut into bite-sized pieces.

However, the most common way to enjoy this traditional dish at parties is to serve all the ingredients separately and to allow the guests to assemble popiah according to personal preferences. Even though it originated in the Chinese Fujian province, popiah is also a part of the cuisines of Singapore and Malaysia, with different varieties popular in other Asian countries.