I had my first taste of Popiah at a Hawker stall in Malaysia and fell instantly in love with these tightly wrapped parcels filled with interesting fillings . Often eaten as a snack and popularly known as street food in some Asian countries, these can best be described as a hybrid between a Rice Paper Roll and a Spring roll and yet something a bit more.

Popiah has its origins in China however there are many Asian adaptations and some with their own regional twists. The word Popiah itself is derived from the meaning ‘thin wafer’. This would describe the crepe like wrapping that hugs in all the fillings; a wrapping that is delicate and soft but robust enough to keep together its contents. Popiah is known as a ‘fresh spring roll’ as it is not deep fried as we might know of the ‘traditional’ spring roll and is refreshingly healthy. Popiah can be filled with a multitude of fillings but the best ones have an interesting blend of contrasting textures and tastes inside.

Whilst the authentic versions of Popiah involve individually making the wrappers as well, store bought Spring Roll wrappers can also do the trick. They can easily be found in most Supermarkets and in this recipe they are a quick and effective shortcut to otherwise a more labourious  process.  Here in this recipe, you can also give  the rolls a bit of time on the fry pan to give it a wonderful crisp!

So… grab a handful of fresh ingredients, a few herbs, a bunch of prawns and wrap away!!!

Try my Popiah Prawn and Vegetable Spring Rolls recipe.