Popiah
A Fujianese/Teochew fresh spring roll eaten during Qingming Festival.
Popiah is a Fujianese/Teochew-style fresh spring roll filled with an assortment of fresh, dried, and cooked ingredients. It is eaten during the Qingming Festival and other celebratory occasions, and its origin dates back to the 17th century.
- Origin
- Fujian province, China (Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou) and Chaoshan district
- Also known as
- Runbing (潤餅) in Mandarin, lumpia in Philippines and Indonesia
- Wrapper
- Soft, thin paper-like crêpe made from wheat flour
- Common fillings
- Turnip, jicama, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, tofu, peanuts, omelette
- Served
- Fresh (not fried), with sweet sauce, hoisin sauce, or shrimp paste sauce
- Diaspora regions
- Southeast Asia, Taiwan
Quick Facts
- Country
- Minnan, China
- Region
- East Asia (Teochew and Hokkien-speaking communities), Southeast Asia
- Variations
- Lumpia, bò bía, ปอเปี๊ยะทอด popia thot
- Other
- Eaten during Qingming Festival
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Popiah is made by the people and diaspora of Fujian province of China, neighboring Chaoshan district, and by Teochew and Hoklo diaspora in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The name popiah comes from the Teochew and Hokkien pronunciation of 薄餅, meaning 'thin flatbread/cake'. In different regions of Fujian, it is also called lunpia (潤餅), which is the etymological origin of 'lumpia' in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Reader's Guide
Popiah is significant as a traditional dish associated with the Qingming Festival and other celebratory occasions, reflecting the culinary heritage of Fujian and Chaoshan. Its spread across Southeast Asia and Taiwan via Teochew and Hoklo diaspora has led to local variations, such as the Taiwanese runbing with diverse stuffings and the Southeast Asian popiah served as street food. The dish's wrapper-making technique—rubbing a wet dough ball on a hot steel plate—is a distinctive skill. Popiah has also influenced other cuisines, including Vietnamese bò bía, Cambodian num por pia, Thai popia, and Burmese kawpyan, as well as Filipino lumpiang sariwa and Indonesian lumpia basah.
Did You Know?
- Popiah is also known as runbing (潤餅) in Mandarin, which is the etymological origin of 'lumpia' in the Philippines and Indonesia.
- The wrapper is made by rubbing a ball of wet dough against a hot steel plate in a circular motion.
- In southern Taiwan, popiah stuffing is water blanched without seasoning and flavored primarily with sugar and peanut powder.
- Some food stalls in Taiwan serve popiah filled with ice cream, pineapple, peanut, and taro flavors, with cilantro and peanut shavings.
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