We’ve enjoyed the crunch of eggrolls and the fresh, herbal flavors of summer rolls, but do you know what makes eggrolls crunchy and summer rolls soft? These texture differences come from the three major variations of Asian wrappers: dried-rice papers, spring-roll wrappers, and wonton wrappers. Most of these wrappers are found in the freezer section of your Asian grocery store.
DRIED-RICE PAPERS
Mainly used in Vietnamese cooking, dried-rice papers are made from rice flour and sold in dried, packaged form. Unlike the other wrappers, you do not cook rice papers. Simply dip them in hot water, and remove quickly before they dry. Generally, rice papers are used to wrap ingredients for summer rolls (aka fresh spring rolls).
SPRING-ROLL WRAPPERS
Made from wheat flour, these wrappers are used in east- and southeast-Asian cuisine and are the most versatile of all the variations. They are normally fried and can be both sweet and savory.
LUMPIA
Like spring-roll wrappers, lumpia are also made from wheat flour, but their texture is more delicate. Since the wrappers are already cooked, they can be eaten as-is and wrapped in fresh ingredients.
EGGROLL WRAPPERS
Found in China and other Chinese-speaking countries, the difference between eggroll wrappers and spring-roll wrappers is that eggroll wrappers contain eggs, which causes them to be thicker. The thickness also makes eggroll wrappers less crispy.
WONTON WRAPPERS
Used to wrap savory Chinese dumplings that are either deep-fried or pan-fried or put in soups, wonton wrappers are made from wheat flour, egg, water, and salt.
GYOZA WRAPPERS
Gyoza wrappers are practically the same as wonton wrappers, except the name is Japanese. The proper cooking method is panfrying.
