Lumpiang ubod, also known as heart of palm spring rolls, is a Filipino appetizer consisting of julienned ubod (heart of palm) with various meat and vegetables in a thin egg crêpe. It is commonly served fresh (as lumpiang sariwa), but it can also be deep-fried. It originates from the city of Silay in Negros Occidental where an original variant, lumpiang Silay, is still popular.
Names and origin
Lumpiang ubod derives its name from
ubod ("heart of palm") which is the edible
pith derived from
coconut trunks. The dish originates from the city of
Silay in the province of Negros Occidental,
Negros Island in the
Visayas. Purportedly it emerged as one of the
carried on woven trays (
bilao) by servers (
manuglibod) in
mahjong frequented by the city's large affluent class. The
ubod was taken from freshly felled coconut trees that are also used widely in
Ilonggo people. It became popular and was adopted in other parts of the Philippines, eventually taking on the characteristics of the more prevalent
lumpiang sariwa.
Description
Modern
lumpiang ubod is most commonly served as
lumpiang sariwa (fresh lumpia). It is made by
julienning heart of palm and
into thin strips. It is mixed together with minced garlic, onion and various other vegetables if desired, including
cabbage,
,
singkamas (
jicama),
, and so on. Meat (pork, beef, or chicken), shrimp, or
tofu can also be added. These are sautéed with spices and
patis (fish sauce) until the
ubod is soft and the meat is thoroughly cooked.
The lumpia wrapper can be homemade or commercial. It is the thicker variant used for lumpiang sariwa, and not the thin version commonly used in fried versions. It is made by mixing egg, flour, and water into a thin batter. It is poured into a thin pancake on a pan for more or less a minute and then taken out to dry. A small amount of the pre-cooked filling is then laid on a bed of lettuce and wrapped with the lumpia wrapper.
Lumpiang ubod can also be served as lumpiang prito (fried lumpia). The preparation is more or less the same, though the type of lumpia wrapper used is less important. It is deep-fried and then served with a dipping sauce of choice, like other fried lumpia.
Lumpiang Silay
The original Silay
lumpiang ubod is sometimes differentiated as
lumpiang Silay,
lumpiang Ilonggo people,
lumpiang ubod de Silay, or
lumpiang Bacolod. Unlike the versions in other islands, it is always made fresh. It is originally smaller and thinner in comparison (approximately finger-sized). It traditionally included
ubod, sautéed meat (ground or cut into strips) and shrimp, an entire sprig of
green onion, and crushed
chicharon in a bed of lettuce. The
lumpia wrapper is also traditionally made with
rice flour. It is not served with a dipping sauce or drizzled with peanut sauce like most modern
lumpiang ubod. Rather the sauce is spread
inside the wrapper before rolling. The sauce is traditionally made from
cornstarch, salt, sugar,
soy sauce, and finely crushed toasted garlic. It is typically served with wax paper covering, a legacy of its origin as
finger food rather than a dish served on a plate.
See also
Further reading
