Cantonese spring rolls should not be confused with the Vietnamese spring rolls.  The Vietnamese spring rolls are made with rice wrappers that are submerged in water while the Cantonese spring rolls have wheat wrappers that are fried.  The filling of this appetizer varies depending on taste and budget.  Some fillings are completely vegetarian while others may include a protein like shrimp, chicken or pork.  The most common fillings are shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cabbage and pork.

Tips for making Cantonese spring rolls.

Cantonese spring rolls filling.

For the filling, the ingredients should be cold and not have too much sauce or moisture as this causes the oil to splatter when frying and prevent the wrappers from crisping, resulting in soggy spring rolls.  

To ensure that each bite is colorful and crunchy, add raw ingredients like thinly shredded cabbage, carrots and bamboo strips after placing the filling on the wrapper.

For this recipe, I'm using the Wong Family's dumpling filling as the base since it's absolutely delicious with all the different flavors and textures.  I add cilantro and rehydrated black fungus (woodear mushrooms) to the mixture plus raw cabbage, carrots and bamboo shoots for extra color and crunch.

Wrapping Cantonese spring rolls.

The rolls should be fairly tightly wrapped and the edges sealed to prevent the ingredients from coming out of the rolls during frying. Using a little bit of water creates a bit of tackiness that helps  the wrapper stick together. See video for tips on how to achieve uniform browning and prevent parts of your spring rolls from overbrowning.

Freezing raw spring rolls.

Raw spring rolls can be frozen.  Place individual spring rolls onto a silicone mat, parchment paper or foil on a baking tray, making sure they do not touch.  Place them in the freezer until frozen.  Once they are frozen, remove them and place them in a freezer bag.  They do not need to be defrosted before frying.  However, be careful as the oil may splatter due to ice formation on the spring rolls.

Frying Cantonese spring rolls.

The oil temperature for frying the spring rolls should be about 350° fahrenheit (177 ° celcius).  If you do not have a deep fryer, it is best to fry it in a small saucepan so that you do not require too much oil.  The oil depth should be about 2"-3" (5-8 cm) deep. Occasionally turn the spring rolls to ensure even browning.

Serving.

Most dim sum restaurants will cut the spring rolls in half using a pair of scissors.  They are also served with soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and my favorite, worcestshire sauce that is slightly tangy.  Cantonese spring rolls should be served hot.

Reheating the Cantonese spring rolls.

Since the spring rolls are fried, it is best to reheat them in a toaster oven or oven. Place the spring rolls on some folded paper towels on a metal tray.  Make sure that the paper towels do not touch any heating element that would cause them to burn.  As the spring rolls heat up, the paper towels will absorb the oil and make them crisp again!