What is the difference between egg rolls and spring rolls

NatashaBreen/Getty Images

Whether it’s a healthy lunch or some greasy late-night chow after you’ve been burning the midnight oil, your local Chinese joint delivers on all fronts. Regardless of what led you to reach for that takeout menu, there’s a good chance you’ll be eyeing the appetizers. What’ll it be? Spring rolls or egg rolls? Here’s everything you need to know in order to settle the spring roll vs. egg roll debate once and for all. (And if you want the TL;DR, egg rolls are an American Chinese dish that have a thick wheat shell and generous cabbage filling. Spring rolls are a type of dim sum with wrappers and fillings that vary based on region.)

What Is a Spring Roll?

There’s a good chance you’ve never pondered the definition of a spring roll—namely because you’re usually too busy sinking your teeth into it to be bothered by such matters. So what is a spring roll exactly? Let’s start on the outside and work our way to the heart of the matter.

According to Bryan (Huy) Vu of the food blog Hungry Huy, spring rolls are thought to have originated from mainland China during the Jin Dynasty, 266 to 420 CE, when they rolled seasonal spring vegetables in a pancake-like wrapper to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Now, spring rolls are a type of dim sum that are eaten all over East and Southeast Asia, and they can vary greatly depending on their region. For example, Chinese spring rolls can be baked, fried or non-fried and filled with vegetables or meat, and some are even filled with sweet red bean paste. Meanwhile, Vietnamese spring rolls (like these summer rolls) have a soft rice wrapper and are filled with fresh herbs, rice vermicelli and slivers of meat or seafood. There’s also Filipino lumpia, and the fresh popiah spring rolls eaten in Taiwan, to name a few.

Compared to egg rolls, spring rolls are typically lightly stuffed (i.e., no more than what the thin shell can accommodate) with cooked or raw veggies, like shredded cabbage and carrot. That said, there are endless spring roll varieties, including chicken, pork or shrimp.

What Is an Egg Roll?

Chewy, crispy egg rolls are another takeout menu staple, but unlike spring rolls, this appetizer originated stateside. According to Andew Coe’s Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, egg rolls were probably invented at a Chinese restaurant in New York City in the early 1930s.

The origin of the “egg” name is just as murky, since the predominant flavor of egg rolls is typically cabbage. Per a 1979 Washington Postarticle titled “Inside the Egg Roll,” there are two predominant theories: that the Chinese word for “egg” sounds similar to the Chinese word for “spring,” and that southern Chinese chefs added eggs to the dough when trying to make the thin noodle skin from flour and water.

Egg rolls are plenty crispy, but considerably chewier and more substantial than spring rolls. And thanks to that sturdy wheat wrapper, egg rolls can handle a heavier load. They tend to be stuffed more generously and almost always feature meat in the filling, since the shell can hold up to all those meaty juices. Another distinctive feature of egg rolls? They often feature flavor profiles you wouldn’t find in an authentic spring roll (like banana’s foster or avocado). And if you want to try your hand at home, here’s a recipe from The Woks of Life.

What’s the Difference?

The key difference between egg rolls and spring rolls is that the former is a Chinese-American invention and the latter is a vast and varied group of dim sum dishes originating in Asia. Aside from that, egg rolls are made using a wheat wrapper and spring rolls vary by region. This distinction also extends to what ends up going inside: Spring rolls are often lightly stuffed with vegetarian fare, meat or seafood, whereas egg rolls are usually a heartier bite and are most often filled with cabbage. But from our experience, neither one is likely to let you down.

Ready to order your favorite dish from your favorite Chinese restaurant? But what if they only have spring rolls listed and not your tried and true egg rolls? Find out how similar, and how different the two are.

Spring roll vs egg roll: Spring rolls and egg rolls are both delicious. They are tasty packets of dough with warm fillings of cabbage, vegetables, and pork inside. There are some differences between the two, however. Spring rolls usually have a cabbage and vegetable filling while egg rolls normally add pork inside. Spring rolls have a lighter, crispier wrapper while egg rolls have a thicker, doughier wrapper. Egg rolls use egg in their pastry which accounts for this. Despite the differences, most people can agree that either one makes for a tasty treat.

What is a spring roll?

A spring roll is a popular dish in Chinese cuisine. They are normally savory rolls filled with cabbages and vegetables.

The pastry is thin and once everything has been wrapped up, a spring roll is usually deep-fried, although there are variations where there is no frying involved.

When you bite into a spring roll, you will encounter a crispy sensation, with the pastry flaking right away. Inside will be a nice mixture of cabbage and vegetables that is fully cooked.

What is an egg roll?

An egg roll is very similar to a spring roll although it is more considered to be Asian-American cuisine.

Inside you will find cabbage and usually pork. The pastry is made with wheat flour and eggs, and when you bite into it the outside is both crispy and chewy.

Egg rolls are normally deep-fried to a golden brown color and the contents are hot when served.

What is the difference between a spring roll vs egg roll?

Origin of Recipe

You might think that both spring rolls and egg rolls are part of traditional Chinese food. However, this is only true of one of the food items.

Spring rolls definitely come from China. They originated as a spring dish, using fresh, local vegetables, and wrapped up in a dough similar to a pancake.   

If you go to a dim sum restaurant, either in China or North America, spring rolls are often served.

There are also variations of spring rolls that can be found all over the world. Southeast Asia often features spring rolls in their cooking, and you can even find them in Australia and Europe.

Egg rolls are a definitive part of Asian-Chinese cooking. It’s thought that Chinese immigrants took their traditional knowledge of spring rolls and adapted the recipe in the United States in the 20th Century.

As more Americans started to frequent Chinese restaurants, the egg roll became increasingly popular.

Both spring rolls and egg rolls are often served with hoisin sauce or soy sauce although they can also be enjoyed without a sauce.

Ingredients or Fillings

Both egg rolls and spring rolls can have vegetarian or meat fillings. Almost always, there will be cabbage inside both versions.

Spring rolls will also often have other vegetables in them while egg rolls almost always have meat. These vegetables can include bamboo shoots, bell peppers, bean sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms.

When there is a meat component, pork is a popular ingredient. If you are deep-frying spring or egg rolls, the pork doesn’t have to be cooked fully.

Wrapper

One of the main differences between egg rolls and spring rolls is the wrapper. As its name suggests, egg rolls have egg in their pastry, as well as wheat flour.

Once the dough has been made, it is rolled out and is thicker than spring rolls. When you bite into an egg roll, the wrapper is crispy but it is also doughier, because of the thickness and ingredients.

On the other hand, spring rolls are made with flour and water. They are thinner wrappers and the result is a crunchier texture that crumbles as soon as you bite into it.

Method (Preparation)

Both spring rolls and egg rolls are now found in most grocery stores. However, you may want to try cooking them at home for a fresher experience.

First, prepare the vegetables, such as bamboo shoots and bean sprouts, slicing them into very thin pieces. If you are adding pork, cook it until it is dry as a soggy filling will quickly seep through the wrappers.

While you could make your own wrappers, it’s far easier to purchase pre-made spring roll wrappers. You can also find egg roll wrappers, but don’t mix up the two as spring roll wrappers are much thinner.

Add the filling but don’t overstuff. Try to remove any air and add a bit of water to the edge of the wrapper to seal it tight.

How it is cooked

Spring rolls are usually deep-fried while egg rolls can be either fried or baked.

You can fry spring or egg rolls in canola or peanut oil in a large pot. This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

You can also bake egg rolls, which although healthier, won’t result in a crispy outside. This takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrients

Spring rolls and egg rolls are relatively low in calories as they are a small snack. They have some amounts of protein, fiber, and depending on the filling, sugar.

While they are deep-fried in oil, becuase the filling and dough is healthy, the total amount of fat is quite low.

What’s healthier spring roll vs egg roll?

Spring rolls are a healthier alternative to egg rolls. While both have cabbage in them, spring rolls will usually have additional vegetables in them while egg rolls will almost always have pork in them.

Spring roll wrappers are also thinner and don’t have egg in the pastry. In comparison, egg rolls have thicker, deep fried wrappers.

Conclusion

Expanding your culinary palette from sources around the world is always a good idea. Both spring rolls and egg rolls taste delicious and while their filings are often similar, it is the wrapper that most distinguishes them.

Egg rolls have eggs in their thicker wrappers, while spring rolls have a lighter, crispier wrapper.  

Related Content:

• Jelly Vs Jam Comparison – What’s The Difference?
• Apple Cider Vs Apple Juice – What’s Their Difference?

Is spring roll better than egg roll?

Are egg rolls just fried spring rolls?

Why is it called a spring roll?

Do spring rolls have meat?