| Egg roll | |||||||||||||||
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| An American-style egg roll, with a view of its interior | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 蛋卷 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | egg roll | ||||||||||||||
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An egg roll is an appetizer and dinner, a variant of spring roll that has spread throughout the world as a staple of Asian cuisine. Egg rolls with fillings are commonly served in Vietnamese cuisine.
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An egg roll is made by wrapping a combination of chopped vegetables (often mostly cabbage), meat, and sometimes noodles, in a sheet of dough, dipping the dough in egg or an egg wash, then deep frying it. It can be closed or open ended.
When compared with its cousin, the spring roll, the egg roll is generally larger, has a thicker, puffier skin, is crunchier, and has more filling. However, the terms "spring roll" and "egg roll" are often used somewhat interchangeably. The egg roll dough is wheat-based while the spring roll is sometimes rice-based.
In mainland China, many Chinese-speaking regions of Asia, and Chinese immigrant communities around the world, egg roll predominantly refers to the egg-based, flute-shaped pastry, with typically yellowish, flaky crust often eaten as a sweet snack or dessert commonly eaten by Asians. Some varieties are made with sesame seeds or other flavorings/toppings, such as chocolate, cream, or strawberry. The term may also be used to refer to another modern Asian breakfast cuisine that mixes the western omelet with thin egg roll wrappers.
Within China egg rolls are eaten predominantly in the southeast and is not as commonly consumed in the north and western parts of China.
In West Bengal in India, and especially Kolkata, "egg roll" refers to a fried egg wrapped inside a paratha flat-bread. After the paratha has been prepared, an egg is cracked on a pan and while the egg is still uncooked, the paratha is added. It is cooked until the egg is well done and is stuck to the paratha. After that, the contents are removed from the pan and sliced raw onions, sliced green chilis, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and black salt is added. An optional choice is adding tomato ketchup at the end.
In Britain and Australia, "egg roll" also commonly refers to a fried egg in a bread roll (a breakfast item) or chopped, hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise in a bread roll (a party buffet item). The terms "pancake roll" or "spring roll" are often used by Chinese restaurants in the UK to describe what is called an "egg roll" at Chinese restaurants elsewhere. In France, a similar hors d'oeuvre is called a "nem".
A "Mexican egg roll" is an egg roll wrap filled with beans, cheese, and, optionally, meat, as well as various peppers and spices. It is then deep-fried and served with sour cream or salsas, like the chimichanga. In Mexico the residents refer to it as a burrito or in some rare cases, a taquito. Though in many Chinese restaurants in Mexico, egg rolls are comparable to those in the USA.
In the United States, several restaurant chains (such as Chili's) market a "Southwest Egg Roll", which is a Tex-Mex dish consisting of a deep-fried flour tortilla containing (among other ingredients) corn, black beans, spinach, chicken, monterey jack cheese, peppers, and other spices.
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