In the Philippines, what is "lumpia"?

In the Philippines, lumpia is a spring roll. It is a family of Filipino wrapped dishes made with a thin wrapper around fillings such as vegetables, pork, shrimp, or other ingredients, and it is commonly served at parties, celebrations, and everyday meals.

Lumpia reflects the long influence of Chinese foodways in the Philippines. The name and basic idea are connected to Southern Chinese spring rolls, but Filipino cooks developed many local versions. Lumpiang Shanghai, usually filled with seasoned ground meat and fried, is one of the best-known varieties.

Not every lumpia is fried. Lumpiang sariwa, or fresh lumpia, uses cooked vegetables and other fillings inside a soft wrapper and is served without deep-frying. That is why “spring rolls” is the best broad answer, while “fried egg rolls” is too narrow. Filipino wrappers are often thinner and more delicate than the wrappers associated with some Chinese-American egg rolls.