Name: Lumpia Shanghai
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 40 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1 lb ground pork; 1/2 lb ground shrimp (optional but traditional); 1 cup carrots, finely minced; 1 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped; 4 green onions, finely chopped; 1 egg, beaten; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 40 lumpia wrappers (spring roll wrappers); Vegetable oil for deep frying; Banana ketchup or sweet chili sauce for dipping

Crispy Filipino spring rolls packed with seasoned pork and vegetables. Every party, every reunion, every celebration.

The Cultural Story

Lumpia arrived in the Philippines with Chinese traders over 500 years ago and became entirely Filipino. The Shanghai version — thinner, crispier, filled with seasoned ground pork — is what you find at every birthday party, fiesta, and family reunion. Grandmothers roll them by the hundreds. Children sneak them before dinner is officially served. They are eaten with banana ketchup (a Filipino invention born during WWII when tomatoes were scarce) or sweet chili sauce. The name "Shanghai" is a bit of a mystery — some say it references the Chinese origin, others say it was named by a restaurant in Manila. Either way, it is deeply, proudly Filipino.

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground shrimp (optional but traditional)
1 cup carrots, finely minced
1 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
40 lumpia wrappers (spring roll wrappers)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Banana ketchup or sweet chili sauce for dipping

Instructions

1Combine ground pork, shrimp, carrots, water chestnuts, and green onions in a bowl. Add egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
2Separate the lumpia wrappers carefully — they tear easily. Keep covered with a damp towel as you work.
3Place a wrapper on a clean surface. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of filling along the bottom edge of the wrapper.
4Roll tightly into a thin cylinder, sealing the edge with a little water or beaten egg. The roll should be pencil-thin — the thinner, the crispier.
5Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry lumpia in batches for 3-4 minutes, turning until uniformly golden brown and crispy.
6Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with banana ketchup. They are best eaten the moment they come out of the oil, with no patience.

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