Lumpia

A common appetizer in the Philippines that consists of a food wrap (Lumpia wrapper) covering a variety of savory ingredients. Typically, meat, fish, seafood, or poultry will be sautéed and combined with a variety of vegetables, such as carrots, yams, chickpeas, shredded cabbage, onions, and bean curds that are also sautéed and seasoned. The ingredients are then simmered in a meat stock for tenderizing and flavored by adding a fish sauce. The ingredients are placed on a thin, circular lumpia wrapper made from eggs, cornstarch, flour, and water. The wrapper, which is very similar to a rice wrapper, is then folded around the ingredients and the ends are folded in to keep the contents from falling out. If the wrapped food is fried, the result is similar to an egg roll. When the wrapper is not fried and served as a soft food wrap, a piece of lettuce is often used as a first wrapping for the food that is then wrapped again in the lumpia wrapper. Lumpia is often served with a dipping sauce that may be a garlic-based sauce or a sauce made from hoisin and soy sauces.